"I started Integrated Projects with $12,000 in what I thought was emergency funds. Looking back, probably the silliest decision." - Jose Cruz

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Jose Cruz of Integrated Projects (IPX) sharing his journey from bootstrapping to raising venture funding.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How growing up in his parents' pizza shop gave Jose a "cheat code" for understanding business

✅ The problem with building documentation (8 out of 10 landlords start projects with inaccurate as-built drawings)

✅ How IPX is revolutionizing Scan-to-BIM technology by combining 3D scanning and modeling

✅ Why Jose bootstrapped for 5 years before raising capital ($12K savings to $1.2M revenue)

Listen to the full conversation to learn how IPX is scaling to meet the challenge of digitizing 1.6 billion existing buildings worldwide:

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

04:20 The Leap into Entrepreneurship

07:08 Foundations of Confidence and Experience

10:11 The Early Days of IPX

13:20 Understanding the Need for Digitization

16:23 Target Audience and Market Dynamics

19:21 Case Study: Tesla's Use of IPX Services

22:25 The Shift from CAD to BIM

25:06 The Role of Building Owners in Digital Asset Management

28:24 The Process of Scanning and Modeling

31:22 Advancements in Scanning Technology

34:22 The Future of Scan-to-BIM Automation

41:54 Building Trust with Customers

44:03 Securing Enterprise Clients

46:29 The Bootstrapping Journey

50:24 Deciding to Fundraise

52:50 Navigating Investor Relationships

55:47 Transitioning from Founder-Led Sales

58:45 Marketing Strategies for Growth

01:02:11 The Role of Community in Business Growth

01:05:21 Personal Reflections on Venture Capital

01:09:54 Key Advice for AEC Entrepreneurs