Bricks And Bytes

Bricks And Bytes
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

A show about construction technology, business, and entrepreneurship. Welcome to the Bricks and Bytes Podcast, where we bring together the worlds of construction, technology, and entrepreneurship. We explore the innovative ideas and groundbreaking advancements that are shaping the future of the industry.

  1. 21h ago

    $785 Billion, Autonomous Excavators, and a New Landlord Called BlackRock.

    This week's briefing covers three things that are already changing the shape of construction, one of them from a dirt road in Texas at 4am. Bedrock Robotics was founded by the team behind Waymo's driverless technology. They do not build new excavators. They take the ones contractors already own, fit them with sensors and a computer, and the machine digs on its own. This week we filmed a full documentary with them at Proto Town, a 12 acre test site near Austin where some of the most advanced hard tech companies on earth go to build things they cannot build anywhere else. The operator who has spent his career inside these machines watched one run without him and his answer was relief. The people closest to autonomous equipment are not the ones campaigning against it. The contractor running them on live sites across Texas today says productivity is up, revenue is up, and his crews are happier. Then BlackRock. On Tuesday Meta and BlackRock announced a $14 billion data centre campus in El Paso. BlackRock owns 80%. Meta leases its own building back, operates it, and manages the construction. Roughly 90 cents in every dollar is borrowed. Wall Street used to lend money to these builds. It is now the one that owns them. That changes who your actual client is on the biggest programmes in the market. And then the numbers behind the whole cycle. Over the past fortnight the four biggest data centre customers on earth all opened their books. Moody's tallied what six technology companies will spend on this build this year. $785 billion, heading for a trillion next year. Their word for it was unprecedented. When a ratings agency uses that word, it means they have never had to grade anything like it. The question is no longer whether the work can be built. It is who is paying for it, and whether they can keep on paying. Drop your answer in the comments of this week's LinkedIn post.

    $785 Billion, Autonomous Excavators, and a New Landlord Called BlackRock.

  2. 1d ago

    Procore’s $845M DroneDeploy Deal, Why Handoff Isn’t a Takeoff Tool and Construction Tech PR

    $845 million. In cash. That's what Procore just paid for DroneDeploy. We sat down and ran the actual cross-sell math on this deal, and it's a lot steeper than the headline number makes it loo We also got Handoff founder Dmitry Alexin on to talk about his AI estimating tool, and he was clear about one thing: "It's not a tool, it's not a takeoff tool." And PR consultant Kevin Ferguson told us what it actually takes to get a construction tech startup covered in the press. Spoiler: it's not just having a good story New episode's up. #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. - breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 - Teaser 00:35 - Intro & Today's Agenda 01:02 - Procore Acquires DroneDeploy for $845M 08:55 - The Cross-Sell Math: Does the Deal Pencil Out? 16:28 - Dmitry Alexin (Handoff) Joins: Why Not Another Takeoff Tool 21:04 - Building H1: Assemblies, Pricing, and Computer Vision 32:58 - The Katerra Postmortem 41:04 - Kevin Ferguson Joins: The State of Construction Tech PR

  3. 4d ago

    How Palantir Became Cavanagh Construction’s Operating System | Joe Patrois

    "Construction's never had a software problem. They've had an assimilation problem." That line from Joe Patrois stopped us mid-recording. Joe was there on day one when Palantir walked into Thomas Cavanagh Construction. Eighteen months later, the company runs its operations on Foundry, field adoption of their app sits at 97 percent, and Joe now leads product at Cavtera, a new service provider helping other contractors do the same. In this week's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we get past the Palantir hype and into the jobsite reality: * What "ontology" actually means for a contractor * Why they are stripping operations OUT of the ERP * The change management that matters more than the software * Why data should be the byproduct of operations, not the product As Joe put it: "AI is an output. You don't do AI. It's an output of operations." Full episode now live on YouTube and Spotify. Link in comments. #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:45 Introduction to Palantir in Construction 03:29 The Journey of Kavanaugh Construction 05:49 Understanding Ontology and Its Importance 06:01 Sponsors 11:34 Change Management vs. Software Solutions 14:15 Replacing Legacy Systems with Palantir 16:35 The Value of Custom Solutions 19:43 Data as a Byproduct of Operations 22:32 Getting Started with Palantir 24:56 Common Pitfalls in Digitization 29:06 Building Foundations Before Scaling Solutions 32:15 Enhancing Communication Across Workflows 36:05 Navigating Change in Established Organizations 36:51 The Future of Point Solutions in Construction 39:08 Simplifying ERP Systems with Foundry 41:21 Common Pain Points in Construction Management 42:37 Real-World Applications of Foundry at Kavanaugh 46:55 Introducing Captera: A New Service Provider 48:19 Tailored Solutions for the Construction Industry 49:23 Ongoing Support and Implementation Services 51:00 The Future of Software in ConstructionOur Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. - breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

  4. Jul 21

    Barton Malow CEO Ryan Maibach on AI, Data Centres and the Future of Construction

    "Have we seen the productivity benefit from that? I think it's reasonable to say that no, no, we haven't." That is Ryan Maibach, President and CEO of Barton Malow, on the software stackhis own teams are carrying. Roughly 40 different tools for a project manager. Around 35 for a superintendent. He is not describing a company that failed to adopt technology. He is describing one that adopted a lot of it and is now counting the cost. His point on this week's episode was not that the tools are bad. Several of themwork. It is that digging foundations, placing concrete and erecting steel have not fundamentally changed, while the process wrapped around those activities has grown exponentially more complex. He is seeing burnout, and he is not seeing the productivity. Then he took it somewhere harder. If a construction manager exists partly to help a client overcome informationasymmetry, and AI hands that client the same knowledge directly, what is the service actually worth? Full episode out now. Link below. #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:45 Quickfire: builder or technologist 04:41 What Barton Malow actually builds 07:28 Where the industry goes in the next ten years 09:53 Sponsors 12:54 Labour, cost and the technology question 13:22 Why the downturn worries him more than the labour shortage 16:37 Data centers, and the pushback from inside his own team 19:09 Steering a company when nobody knows what happens next 22:10 What construction executives should prioritise right now 24:42 The AI strategy paradox 30:07 Second brains, and what happens to the general contractor 33:58 40 tools per PM and no productivity to show for it 36:50 LIFTbuild: building a tower from the top down 41:39 What they got wrong trying to change the industry 45:45 Hyperscalers as clients 48:42 How he actually runs his week 52:43 What he screens for when hiring 56:38 Bias, and the leader he learned the most from Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. - breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

  5. Jul 18

    Why Contractors Are Finally Gaining The Upper Hand + Data Centers Dropping

    This week's briefing explores three of the biggest stories shaping construction. First, we examine the first signs that the data centre boom may be beginning to moderate. Planning activity dipped in June, several high profile projects have been cancelled or withdrawn, and local opposition is increasingly influencing what gets built. We look at what the latest data really says, and whether this is simply a pause or the start of a broader shift. Next, we unpack Arcadis' latest International Construction Costs report, why UK construction has become one of the most expensive markets in the world, and how the balance of power may be shifting from clients to contractors. Finally, we revisit the AI pricing battle as new models, open weight releases and changing enterprise economics reshape the market. We also discuss Microsoft's warning on AI, data ownership and what construction businesses should be thinking about before committing to long term AI strategies. Plus, we cover Monumental's $32M funding round, TerraFirma's $100M Series A, and the business lessons from NFL quarterback Jake Browning's demolition company.

    Why Contractors Are Finally Gaining The Upper Hand + Data Centers Dropping

  6. Jul 17

    NFL Quarterback Jake Browning, a $2.1B Stadium and the $300K Bid Strategy

    "I've been cut four times." That is an active NFL quarterback talking. Jake Browning backs up Baker Mayfield at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also co-owns Sutter Street Demolition, an interior demolition subcontractor in LA. He started with one $30,000 trash hauling truck. No flashy launch. Just a low stakes way to build relationships with GCs before bidding a single demo job. On this week's Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, we asked him: → Why he stays away from structural demo (for now) → How low overhead wins bids without change order games → Why he'd rather face a third and long blitz than a late paying GC Full episode on YouTube and Spotify. #bricksandbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #construction #constructiontech #aec Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:36 NFL Construction Trivia 03:25 NFL Players Who Own Construction Companies 06:12 The Biggest NFL Stadiums Ever Built 09:05 SoFi Stadium Construction Cost: $2.6B to $5.5B 11:57 Jake Browning Joins the Show 13:17 Playing QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15:11 Why an NFL Player Started a Demolition Company 17:34 Starting a Business With One $30,000 Truck 22:11 How Athletes Should Invest Their Money 27:21 NFL Lessons for Running a Business 30:12 Finding Your Competitive Advantage 37:14 How to Bid Demolition Jobs 42:19 Leadership Lessons From the NFL 42:48 Why Athletes Struggle to Monetize Their Brand 44:14 How to Win Work With General Contractors 45:28 Why Being Normal Wins in Construction 47:17 The Best NFL Stadiums to Play In 49:19 The Scariest Player in the NFL 51:32 Inside Sutter Street Demolition 55:26 Growing a Demolition Business the Right Way 🎧 Listen to the Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3P7JkiN9X3N4Kh6jlDsOgi?si=91JP5nxvQbKStkp8AQdAOg 📩 Subscribe to the Bricks & Bytes Newsletter: https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/🌐 Visit our website: http://bricks-bytes.com/📲 Follow us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricks-bytes/ Twitter: https://x.com/bricksbytespod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/Our Sponsors:BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. - breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.comEnjoying the insights? Hit that Subscribe button to stay ahead in construction tech, AI, and the future of how we build.

  7. Jul 16

    PR for Construction Tech Explained | What Founders Need to Get Right

    "If you were saying, I'm adding AI to the product or we're now agentic, we now have an agentic AI component, it's not really news." Katie Zeppieri said the quiet part out loud. We invited the Founder and CEO of The MicDrop Agency onto Bricks & Bytes to demystify PR for construction tech. Her agency worked with Document Crunch from its early days through to the Trimble acquisition, so she has seen exactly what earns coverage and what gets deleted from a journalist's inbox. A few things that stuck with us: Events are still the number one marketing channel in construction, but only if you do the work before you land at the venue. Muck Rack's research found that the overwhelming majority of AI citations come from earned media. If journalists are not writing about you, ChatGPT is not talking about you either. If you have ever sent out a "we now integrate with X" press release, this episode is for you. Full conversation on YouTube and Spotify now. #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #constructiontech #construction #aec #ai Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:17 How PR Works in Construction Technology 03:50 PR Strategy Explained: The Communications Triangle 06:44 What Makes a Story Newsworthy? 09:34 Common PR Mistakes Startups Make 10:22 Sponsors 13:23 Why Most PR Announcements Get Ignored 15:44 How to Build Relationships With Journalists 18:38 How Startups Get Featured in Major Publications 21:28 How Speaking at Industry Events Builds Your Brand 24:29 In-Person vs Virtual Events: Which Works Best? 27:36 How Media Relations Builds Long-Term Credibility 28:55 Construction Tech PR Case Study: Document Crunch 30:59 How to Announce a Startup Acquisition 36:11 PR Strategy for Seed-Stage Startups 40:26 Founder-Led Marketing and Personal Branding 45:23 Public Speaking Tips for Startup Founders 48:00 The Future of PR and Marketing 54:16 What PR Will Look Like in 2028 Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. - breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk -  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

  8. Jul 16

    From Palantir to Bricklaying Robots: Inside Monumental’s $32M Raise

    Prototypes and demoware. That was Monumental two years ago, at their $25m Series A. Yesterday they announced a $32m Series B led by Khosla Ventures. In between, their robots laid the entire brickwork on 100 houses, plus canal walls and commercial buildings, as a subcontractor carrying full liability for the work. The day after the announcement, co-founder Salar al Khafaji sat down with us. In his words: "The Series A was basically still like an R&D round... we had some prototypes, we had some like demoware basically." "The Series B was raised off actual success." And the line that will start arguments: "Everyone is obsessed with speed. Speed doesn't really matter." A bricklaying robot company telling you speed doesn't matter. His reasoning is worth the listen on its own. Also in this one: > Why SAM and Hadrian X were too early, and what changed > Day zero to day one of a robot crew arriving on site > The economics vs a traditional bricklaying gang > UK going commercial, US pilots starting this year > Why the entire facade is next. Not in a decade, within a couple of years. 🚨 Industry exclusive. Link in comments. #bricksandbytes #constructiontech #aec #ai #vc

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A show about construction technology, business, and entrepreneurship. Welcome to the Bricks and Bytes Podcast, where we bring together the worlds of construction, technology, and entrepreneurship. We explore the innovative ideas and groundbreaking advancements that are shaping the future of the industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Bricks And Bytes
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    340
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Bricks And Bytes
  • Show Website
    Bricks And Bytes

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