Construction Hot Takes

Ascent Consulting
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Management
  • Biweekly

Hosted by Adam Cooper, CEO of Ascent Consulting, alongside Senior Consultants Gregory Gorman and Jeff Robertson, Construction Hot Takes show dives into the gritty, unfiltered realities of building a profitable construction company. With nearly 100 years of combined experience, they’ve been there—from carrying gear on job sites to leading Ascent, a consulting powerhouse that exclusively serves construction companies across North America. Each episode is packed with insights, strategies, and insider knowledge from the industry’s top consulting firm for contractors. Discover what big national contractors know about growing a business, get actionable advice on boosting efficiency, and learn how to supercharge your project pipeline. Tune in, get inspired, and gain the knowledge to take your construction business to the next level.

  1. 2d ago

    Changing Software in Construction: Early Adopters, Fence Sitters & Resistors

    When a company invests in a major technology transformation, buys the new system, and spends the money, but nothing actually changes, the problem may never have been the software at all. More often than not, the real issue is people or process, and the company ended up changing the wrong thing. In this episode of Construction Hot Takes, Adam Cooper, Greg Gorman, and Jeff Robertson react to Greg's recent LinkedIn post on what it really takes to transform a business, along with the thoughtful comments it sparked. The conversation centers on a simple idea: transformation is rarely about one thing. It is the work of untangling people, processes, and technology that have drifted out of alignment over time, and a change to any one of them ripples through the rest of the organization. The hosts talk through why transformation is never really finished, what companies like Kodak and Nokia teach us about the cost of standing still, and why so many software rollouts fail even when the implementation itself goes smoothly. They also break down the three camps you'll find in almost every company (the early adopters, the fence sitters, and the resistors) and explain why choosing the right champions early can make or break a change effort. Later in the episode, they respond to a listener who challenges the premise entirely, arguing that transformation should start with what the organization is trying to achieve. They also discuss how workarounds and homegrown tools quietly become the real process when nobody designs it on purpose. As one of the hosts puts it, your system works exactly the way it was designed, whether you meant it to or not, so it pays to turn the light on before you start moving the furniture.

    Changing Software in Construction: Early Adopters, Fence Sitters & Resistors

  2. Oct 1

    Is Buyout Just a Nicer Word for Shorting Your Subs?

    Is buyout just a nicer word for shorting your subs? Sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be. Buying the work competitively is the job, and it crosses a line when a GC takes a project without enough money in it and pushes the shortfall down to the trades. If you are a subcontractor who has watched a buyout call land on your margin, or a project manager handed a fee that you cannot see a path to, this is the conversation both sides usually have separately. In this episode, Greg Gorman, Adam Cooper, and Jeff Robertson react to the comments a clip on bidding drew, take the sub's side and the GC's side honestly, and get into contingency, scope, and why the worst job on your books is often the one you won and should not have. Here is the TikTok video source for the comments: ‘Buyout and the Subs’: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes/video/7664578504482163981Build a business that runs without you: https://ascentconsults.com/build-it-better-ebook/ Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction & General Conditions Budgeting01:46 - Reading Online Comments on Buyout Strategies03:12 - Strategic Budgeting & Subcontractor Margins 06:50 - Market Dynamics & Sustainable Bidding Practices  03:26 - Closing Remarks & Producer Summary  Markup and Margin: The Math Matters: https://blog.ascentconsults.com/markup-and-margin For strategic business planning and margin discipline: https://ascentconsults.com/strategic-business-planning/  Greg Gorman:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gorman-hern%C3%A1ndez-mba-115ba34// Adam Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcooper/ Jeff Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobertson72/ Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website!: https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/  Follow Ascent Consulting on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/  Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes #Construction #Preconstruction #Subcontractors

  3. Sep 11

    Whose Fault Is a $25M Overrun, Estimating or Engineering?

    How do you lose $25 million on one job? By building exactly to the construction spec while a second engineering spec, signed off by your own leadership, sat unread until the systems were turned on. If you run design-build work, sit between an engineering department and an estimating department, or have ever assumed someone upstream read the owner's performance criteria, this is the failure that nobody catches on a walkthrough. In this episode, Adam Cooper walks through the job with Greg Gorman and Jeff Robertson, answers the comments it drew, including whether submittals should have caught it and whether the estimator deserves the blame, and gets into what it actually cost the people involved. Here is the TikTok video source for the comments: ‘$25M Spec Miss’: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes/video/7657698121111129358  Build a business that runs without you: https://ascentconsults.com/build-it-better-ebook/ Chapters: 00:00 – Cold Open and Episode Introduction00:24 – The Specification Mistake That Cost $25 Million02:02 – How Did the Error Escape the Submittal Process?04:33 – Why Didn’t the Owner Catch It Earlier?05:47 – Was It Really the Estimator’s Fault? 5 Reasons Construction Projects Fail: https://blog.ascentconsults.com/5-reasons-construction-projects-fail For operational assessments and process review: https://ascentconsults.com/ops_assessment/ Adam Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcooper/ Greg Gorman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gorman-hern%C3%A1ndez-mba-115ba34/ Jeff Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobertson72/ Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website!: https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Follow Ascent Consulting on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes #Construction #DesignBuild #ConstructionManagement

  4. Sep 4

    Will AI Replace Your Superintendent?

    Will AI replace the superintendent who won't use it? Not completely, but it could help your most experienced employees perform better and share their knowledge. A superintendent who knows how to build keeps the job. The one who also uses these tools gets better information can make the same calls sooner. If you run the field and have been told AI is coming for the trailer, or you are deciding whether to put these tools in front of your supers at all, the hosts do not agree with each other here and that is the useful part. In this episode, Greg Gorman, Adam Cooper, and Jeff Robertson work through this issue, sort out where the tools genuinely help when expert judgment does not transfer, and get into what happens to institutional knowledge as the most experienced people age out. Here is the LinkedIn video source for the comments: ‘AI and the Superintendent’: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7483899974649409536/ Build a business that runs without you: https://ascentconsults.com/build-it-better-ebook/ Chapters: 00:00 – Cold Open and Episode Introduction00:45 – Will AI-Savvy Superintendents Replace Those Who Aren’t?02:54 – Balancing Human Expertise and AI07:50 – Judgment, Paperwork, and Better Decisions11:39 – Agentic AI vs. Basic Automation Procore Isn't Broken, It's Just Not Built Around You Yet: https://blog.ascentconsults.com/procore-isnt-broken-its-just-not-built-around-you-yet For AI in construction, in firms with clean data and disciplined process: https://ascentconsults.com/ai-for-construction-companies/ Greg Gorman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gorman-hern%C3%A1ndez-mba-115ba34/ Adam Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcooper/ Jeff Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobertson72/ Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website!: https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Follow Ascent Consulting on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes #Construction #AIinConstruction #Superintendents

  5. Aug 27

    Job Costing Fundamentals: Are You Actually Making Money on Each Job?

    You can feel the money moving. You can't tell if any single job is making it. In this episode, Greg Gorman breaks down job cost management and why hidden jobs that quietly bleed can still occur in a profitable company. Plus the three fundamentals that make job costing work and why you can still save a job at 40 to 50 percent complete (but rarely at 75). Chapters:00:00 - Why job cost management is a top priority02:13 - How does company profit hide a bleeding job?03:45 - What actually counts as a job cost?09:54 - The three fundamentals of job costing15:51 - How do you catch profit fade in time?19:42 - Why acting at 40-50% beats a locked-in loss For fractional CFO support: https://ascentconsults.com/fractional-cfo/The operator's playbook for scaling construction: https://ascentconsults.com/build-it-better-ebook/ Greg Gorman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gorman-mba-115ba34/ Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Follow Ascent Consulting on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsultInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakes#Construction #JobCosting #ConstructionFinance

  6. Aug 13

    Your Data is All There. Why Can't You See It in One Place?

    In this episode, Adam Cooper and Jeff Robertson break down how contractors go from siloed systems to one source of truth for their data, why Procore is built for projects (not company management), and the three ways to actually connect your stack. Including: Off-the-shelf connectors, custom middleware, and a data lake, plus where AI is heading over the next 12 to 24 months. Chapters:00:00 - The 300-job treasure hunt03:35 - Why don't your systems talk to each other?05:54 - What is a data lake, really?08:03 - Connectors vs. custom middleware16:08 - Where is AI taking system integration?19:33 - How contractors end up with a messy tech stack See if your data's ready for AI: https://ascentconsults.com/get-your-ai-score-cardA helping hand with AI in construction: https://ascentconsults.com/ai-for-construction-companies/ Adam Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcooper/Jeff Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobertson72/ Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Follow Ascent Consulting on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsultInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakesThis week, try to build one company-level view of your active jobs. Where it breaks is where your systems aren't connected.#Construction #ConstructionTech #ConstructionAI

  7. Aug 6

    Do We Even Need General Contractors? Reacting to Your Construction Hot Takes

    Holding your hot takes to the fire in this episode, Adam Cooper, Jeff Robertson, and Greg Gorman take on what our audience actually posted: Do we even need general contractors? Does safety paperwork do anything? Does one platform really fix the chaos? Plus the E-Myth, GCs with skin in the game, one big job versus ten small ones, and whether LEED earns its cost. Chapters:00:00 - We went ‘viral’ on TikTok01:18 - Should you pay yourself first?03:57 - Do we even need general contractors?12:39 - Does safety paperwork actually do anything?19:28 - How do GCs lose money on a bid?25:41 - Can you really force a jobsite to be safe?31:17 - One platform for everything, and is LEED worth it? For operational design and process help: https://ascentconsults.com/operational-design/The operator's playbook for scaling construction: https://ascentconsults.com/build-it-better-ebook/ Adam Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcooper/Jeff Robertson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrobertson72/Greg Gorman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gorman-mba-115ba34/ Check out all the Construction Hot Takes episodes on the Ascent website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Follow Ascent Consulting on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsultInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/ Follow the Construction Hot Takes Podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constructionhottakespodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@construction.hottakesDrop the take you disagree with in the comments. The sharpest ones become a future mailbag episode.#Construction #GeneralContractor #ConstructionManagement

  8. Jul 30

    CFO vs. Controller: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?

    In this episode, Greg Gorman and Jeff Robertson breaks down the key differences between a CFO and a Controller, why so many growing construction companies hire without clear expectations, and how defining the right role can lead to better financial decisions and long-term growth. Chapters:00:00 - Pre-Show Banter & Studio Setup01:50 - Trending LinkedIn Discussion05:43 - CFO vs. Controller Roles Defined10:03 - Financial Strategy & Risk Management17:27 - Audience Insights & LinkedIn Feedback Check out our whole catalog of Construction Hot Takes episodes on our website! https://ascentconsults.com/construction-hot-takes-podcast/ Interested in learning how Ascent's consulting services could potentially help improve your business's operations? 📈Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert construction consultants: https://info.ascentconsults.com/meetings/acooper/30-minute-performance-consultation Follow Ascent Consulting on social media! 🤳 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascent-consulting-inc-/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentconsult/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentconsults/X: https://x.com/ascentconsults/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts on our new episodes! https://www.youtube.com/@constructionhottakes

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5 Ratings

About

Hosted by Adam Cooper, CEO of Ascent Consulting, alongside Senior Consultants Gregory Gorman and Jeff Robertson, Construction Hot Takes show dives into the gritty, unfiltered realities of building a profitable construction company. With nearly 100 years of combined experience, they’ve been there—from carrying gear on job sites to leading Ascent, a consulting powerhouse that exclusively serves construction companies across North America. Each episode is packed with insights, strategies, and insider knowledge from the industry’s top consulting firm for contractors. Discover what big national contractors know about growing a business, get actionable advice on boosting efficiency, and learn how to supercharge your project pipeline. Tune in, get inspired, and gain the knowledge to take your construction business to the next level.

Information

  • Creator
    Ascent Consulting
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ascent Consulting

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