Bricks And Bytes

"It took us seven seconds to know that acquiring Genda was the right move."

That's what Aviv Leibovici, CPO of Buildots, told us about the moment the deal clicked.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Aviv Leibovici from Buildots and Erez Dror, founder of Genda, and we got to learn about why Buildots acquired Genda, how combining visual progress data with workforce tracking creates what they call "productivity intelligence," why the best field data will be the new oil for AI in construction, and the hard truths about building products in this industry... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why knowing what was built is only half the picture and how workforce data completes the construction puzzle

✅ How Genda got tens of thousands of construction workers to voluntarily use an app that tracks their location (the answer is genius)

✅ The real reason projects delay  and why GCs blaming owner changes is only part of the story

✅ Why studying your customers matters more than just listening to them  and how both founders approach product development differently than most

🎧 Listen now on Spotify!

#ConstructionTech #ConTech #RealityCapture #AI #BricksAndBytes #ProductivityIntelligence #Buildots #Genda #Construction

Our Sponsors:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:20 Introduction to BuildDots and Genda 

04:16 Understanding Reality Capture and Productivity Intelligence 

07:17 The Acquisition of Genda by BuildDots 

09:60 The Vision Behind the Acquisition 

13:16 Integration of BuildDots and Genda Products 

15:50 The Future of Construction Technology 

33:31 Understanding Productivity Through Data 

40:02 The Reality Capture Landscape 

44:30 Competitive Advantages in Construction Tech 

51:15 Building Great Products in Construction 

58:17 The Role of AI in Product Development

$300 billion wiped from software stocks in a single week. Is SaaS officially dead or is this the buying opportunity of a decade?

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Patric, Dustin, and Martin break down the so-called "SaaSpocalypse" rocking global markets, welcome back Bedrock CTO Kevin Peterson fresh off a massive $270M Series B that puts his autonomous excavator company into unicorn territory, and dissect the hilarious beef between Anthropic and OpenAI playing out on the Super Bowl stage.

Topics discussed:

• The $300B+ SaaS valuation crash and whether it's a death sentence or a market correction back to normal

• Why software engineers are now "juicing" with AI coding tools and what that means for the industry

• Bedrock's journey from Series A to unicorn status, their autonomous excavators on real job sites, and why Google's Capital G is backing them

• Where smart money is moving as investors flee software stocks (hint: Europe is winning)

• Anthropic's brilliant Super Bowl ad mocking OpenAI's plan to put ads in ChatGPT and Sam Altman's salty response

• 38% of Stanford students claiming disability for perks and what it says about elite institutions

💬 "LLMs are book smart. They've read every forum on Reddit, every book ever published. But when you get out in the field, it's not in the book." Kevin Peterson, CTO of Bedrock

Watch the full episode now on Youtube. Link in the comments!

Our Sponsor:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:26 The SaaSpocalypse: A New Era for Software 

04:51 Market Corrections: The Future of SaaS Valuations 

07:21 AI's Role in Software Development 

18:54 The Evolution of Software Engineering 

24:05 Bedrock's Journey: From Startup to Unicorn 

30:49 The Future of Autonomous Construction Vehicles 

32:54 Customer Perspectives and Ideal Partnerships 

34:59 Safety and Supervision in Automation 

36:01 Building a Strong Team for Innovation 4

38:14 Design Considerations for Autonomous Machines 

39:40 Investment Trends in Robotics and AI 

42:06 The Role of User Interface in Automation 

47:20 Investment Strategies in Competitive Spaces 

48:24 The Future of Autonomy and AI in Industry 

49:35 The Battle of AI Companies: OpenAI vs. Anthropic 

56:02 Disability Claims and University Ethics 

01:07:06 Super Bowl Predictions and Lighthearted Banter

Should construction companies sort out their data before using AI? Or can AI sort it out for them?

We put two heavyweights in the ring to fight it out.

In one corner: Dustin DeVan, one of the most decorated CEOs in construction tech. Exited Building Connected for $275M. Now running Ediphi. He's seen $400M liens and knows what happens when your data falls apart in litigation.

In the other corner: KP Reddy, serial entrepreneur, founder, investor, and the man with 48 career experiences on LinkedIn (yes, we counted). He's backed by the biggest names in AEC and has been building stuff since he was a kid.

Dustin says get your house in order first. He's been through a $400M lien. Messy records in court? Not fun.

KP disagrees. Projects end, teams move on, data ends up everywhere. That's just how construction works. AI can make sense of the mess.

One thing they agreed on — Excel isn't going anywhere.

No punches pulled. No fluff.

Who won? You decide.

🎧 What's your take — do we need structured systems before AI, or can AI help us build structure from the chaos?

Our Sponsors:

Provision helps pre-construction teams find risks and scope gaps early so they can bid with confidence: https://www.provision.com/

Presented by Track3D - The first reality capture intelligence platform for smarter construction: https://track3d.ai/

HVAKR - Develop mechanical designs under budget and ahead of schedule: https://www.hvakr.com/

ALICE Technologies - Automates 'what-if' scenario exploration with AI — enabling you to rapidly test options, mitigate risk, and optimize schedules: https://www.alicetechnologies.com/home

Datagrid - Agentic AI that reads your docs, connects your tools, and gets the job done: https://datagrid.com/

00:00 Intro

01:00 Introduction to the Debate 

03:25 The System of Record: Centralized vs. Decentralized 

06:17 The Role of Language Models in Construction 

09:18 Understanding Systems of Record 

12:14 The Importance of Data Structure 

15:07 Ontology and Context in Construction 

17:58 The Expiry Date of Data 

21:10 Business Building and Venture Capital in AEC 

24:05 Excel vs. Cloud Tools 

26:54 The Value of Historical Data 

30:08 Defensibility in Business Models 

33:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

"Cancel your AG1 subscription... AG1 has no real product substance and is fundamentally an influencer heist."

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Martin, and Patric dive into the wild world of 24/7 AI agents that can build your startup from bed, manage your Tinder profile, and apparently go rogue with your credit card.

What's covered:

• The Maltbot phenomenon and why AI agents are taking over everyone's timeline (and whether you should let one run your life)

• Equipment Share's landmark IPO: the first major construction tech exit in years and what their $6B+ valuation means for the industry

• Inside their "Big Short-style" financial engineering with equipment-backed securities

• The upcoming AEC Fight Night 002 debate: Will AI kill the system of record?

• Meta's Metaverse abandonment after $75B spent (allegedly)

• Construction's shrinking labor shortage: what the new numbers really mean

• Robotics reaching a tipping point with multiple solutions now competing in each trade

• How Panasonic is crashing the price of site scanning technology

• A stat that'll make you rethink 3D printing: half of all projects ever happened in 2024

Quote of the episode:

"I really do not understand the outsourcing of brains. I haven't understood it with social media... and agents is just the next ridiculous iteration of that." — Patric

Our Sponsors:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:54 The Rise of AI in Everyday Life 

03:34 IPO Insights and Market Trends 

06:32 AI Agents: The Future of Automation 

07:38 Cultural Reflections on Technology and Lifestyle 

10:04 Debating the Value of AI in Work 

13:02 Ethics and Automation: A Double-Edged Sword 

15:53 Real-World Applications of AI Agents 

17:59 The Future of AI in Business 

20:41 Equipment Share IPO: A Case Study 

28:08 IPO Timing and Financial Considerations 

30:20 Innovative Financial Solutions in Equipment Rental

32:22 Global Applicability of Financial Engineering 

33:44 Future Growth Strategies for Equipment Rental Companies 

35:22 Market Share Insights in the Equipment Rental Industry 

36:47 Understanding Voting Rights in IPOs 

38:31 Challenges in Connecting with Founders 

39:13 Meta's Shift from Metaverse to AI 

41:29 Construction Industry Trends and Worker Shortages 

43:42 Advancements in Robotics for Construction 

46:40 AI's Impact on Robotics Development 

48:29 Cost Reduction in Laser Scanning Technology 

51:16 3D Printing Trends in Construction

Half of every 3D printed building in history was built in 2024.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Stephan Mansour, Director of Operations at Printerra and one of the leading voices in additive construction standards development. We got to learn about why 2025 might be the tipping point for 3D printing in construction, how a full concrete structure can harden in just 30 minutes, and what's really holding the industry back from mass adoption... and so much more.

Stephan's been in construction for nearly 20 years and led a pilot 3D printing project for Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Housing back in 2018. Since then, he's been instrumental in developing international standards that are finally giving this technology the credibility it needs.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why the "perfect storm" of labor shortages, climate disasters, and geopolitical instability is accelerating 3D printing adoption

✅ The $62 million contract ICON just landed with the US Army Corps of Engineers

✅ Dubai's mandate for 25% of buildings to be 3D printed by 2030 — and whether it's realistic

✅ The biggest mistake companies make when getting into 3D printing (hint: don't buy that printer you saw on YouTube)

✅ How standards development is the unsexy foundation that will unlock exponential growth

🎧 Listen now on Spotify and Youtube! Link in the comments

Our Sponsors:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:48 Introduction and Background 

04:15 The Current State of 3D Printing in Construction 

07:46 Understanding Additive Construction 

12:06 The Role of Standards in 3D Printing 

14:33 Challenges and Opportunities in Adoption 

15:01 How 3D Printing Works in Construction 

20:17 Real-World Applications of 3D Printing 

24:15 The Future of 3D Printing in Construction

32:42 Evaluating 3D Printing Technologies 

38:02 Cost Considerations in 3D Printing 

39:25 Learning Curve and Workforce Development 

41:49 Design Flexibility in 3D Printing 

43:51 Investor Perspectives on 3D Printing 

46:07 The Impact of COVID on 3D Printing Adoption 

47:43 Material Limitations and Environmental Factors 

51:13 Key Players in the 3D Printing Industry 

54:19 Future of 3D Printing in Construction

Procore just wrote a 9-figure check. Autodesk just cut 1,300 people. And someone called the best salespeople "the laziest."

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Dustin, and Patric sit down with Mike Powers, Kevin Halter, and Anton Glance to dissect the most chaotic week in construction tech. A founder just landed his second major exit. A website launched with zero mention of "AI." And a former Autodesk exec didn't hold back on who's winning the platform war.

We get into:

• The real reason Procore acquired DataGrid — and why they won't make another bet like this for years

• Autodesk's layoffs and the "buy, build, buy" cycle that keeps repeating

• Kevin Halter's unfiltered take on Procore vs Autodesk

• Why Mike removed every mention of "AI" from BuildVision's website

• The warning sign AI startups need to hear right now

• Anton's vision for BuildDroid — the robot simulation platform backed by Tim Draper

Key quote:

"Autodesk historically has been buy buy buy. Okay, we bought a bunch. Now we're going to build, build, build. And then they realized we're not good at building. So then we go buy buy buy." — Dustin Devan

Watch the full episode on Youtube and Spotify. Link in the comments!

Our Sponsor:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:06 Industry Shifts and Acquisitions 

03:53 Procore's Strategic Moves 

07:06 Autodesk Layoffs and Market Reactions 

09:54 Sales Strategies and Organizational Changes 

12:50 AI's Impact on Construction Tech 

15:51 Website Innovations in Construction Tech 

18:53 Future of Startups in AEC Tech 

21:56 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events 

32:58 Introduction to Build Word AI 

34:40 Customer Engagement and Project Execution 

37:44 Monetization Strategies and Business Model 

39:26 Founding Story and Team Dynamics 

41:14 Timing and Market Readiness 

43:46 Global Expansion and Market Validation 

45:21 Investment Insights and Fundraising Journey 

47:26 Industry Trends and Future Outlook 

49:51 Sales Strategies and Market Dynamics

"The first time a customer said 'yeah, I just blue beamed it' - that was a moment."

When your product becomes a verb, you know you've built something legendary.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, we had Don Jacob, Co-founder of Bluebeam, and we got to learn about the wild 24-year journey from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab to building one of the most iconic products in construction tech... and the future of AI-powered collaboration that's coming next.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why Don left the premier space agency in the world to "sell dog food online" (and how that decision led to Bluebeam)

✅ The secret sauce behind Bluebeam's legendary status: "When the phone rang, we picked up" - accessibility over everything

✅ How bootstrap funding became their competitive advantage and forced the discipline that built the company DNA

✅ Why we're living through the 1999 internet moment all over again with AI - and how Bluebeam Max is positioning for it

Bonus: the story of how a random bar encounter in Boston made this whole interview happen (thanks Tanya from Nemetschek!)

Don's been at this for 24 years and the energy hasn't dimmed. If anything, he's more fired up about what's ahead than ever before.

Listen now on Spotify and Youtube 🎧 Link in the comments!

Our Sponsor:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:40 Introduction and Serendipitous Connections 

03:50 The Legacy of Bluebeam and Its Founding 

11:09 From NASA to Bluebeam: A Journey Through Innovation 

17:27 Democratizing Design Data: The Birth of Bluebeam 

26:13 The Evolution of Bluebeam: From PDF to Collaboration 

33:06 Simplicity in Software: The Key to Bluebeam's Success 

36:41 The Core DNA of Bluebeam 

38:32 Evolution of Bluebeam's Product Offerings 

41:28 Collaboration and the Introduction of Studio 

43:20 Acquisition by Nemechek: A Strategic Move 

45:58 Lessons Learned from Building Great Products 

50:09 Leadership and Team Dynamics 

55:15 The Unbound Event and Future Innovations 

56:32 Integrating AI into Bluebeam's Offerings

What happened to carbon accounting? (Spoiler: Nobody cares anymore)

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Martin, Dustin, and Patric dive into the rise and fall of carbon accounting in construction, why Autodesk's big bet didn't pan out, and what it reveals about the gap between tech hype and real-world adoption.

In this episode:

• The carbon accounting boom that went bust—and why the U.S. construction industry never really cared

• Patric's hilarious "Frankenstein scale" metaphor that perfectly captures the absurdity of pre-construction carbon tracking

• CIV Robotics founder Tom Yeshurun on why they killed their drone product and how they're now doing 5,000+ layout points per day

• The construction tech IPO everyone's watching (and what it means for the industry)

• BREAKING: PlanGrid founders Tracy Young and Ralph Gootee just got acquired again—Lennar Homes buys their new company Tiger Eye

Key quote: "When I was at Autodesk, they were very big on carbon accounting and everything would be front and center of every project by now... At least in the U.S., they don't really care about it. It's just the fact." — Dustin Devan

Plus: Why construction roles are "booming" (or are they?), what AI agent is helping build the next Siri, and an invite to Ediphi's Agent-a-thon in San Francisco on January 23rd.

Our Sponsor: 

Archdesk -  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:53 Introduction to Carbon Accounting 

03:36 Understanding Carbon Accounting and Its Importance 

05:46 Challenges in Carbon Accounting for Construction 

10:38 Investigative Insights on Carbon Credits 

20:05 The Acquisition of Plan A by Diginex 

26:19 Incentives and Exit Strategies 

27:05 Apple's AI Strategy: A Cautious Approach 

29:07 The Value of Waiting in Tech Development 

31:05 The Role of Employee Retention in Tech Companies 

36:58 OpenAI and Competitive Reactions 

43:41 EquipmentShare's IPO and Business Model Insights 

53:18 Understanding Financial Metrics for Tech Companies 

54:40 The Challenges of Financial Forecasting 

58:26 Innovations in Construction: Civ Robotics' Approach 

01:08:01 Future Directions and Exit Strategies for Startups

"I checked the cash balance and the number came out negative. I had to call my wife and say we might need to liquidate our entire 401k to make payroll."

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Thiago Da Costa from DataGrid and Clifton Harness from TestFit and we got to learn about the raw truth of building construction tech startups - from pivoting at $1M ARR to nearly missing payroll.

These founders didn't hold back. They shared the moments that almost broke them and the decisions that saved their companies.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why Thiago pivoted his entire company after raising a Series A (and how he told his board)

✅ The morning Clifton woke up and realized he couldn't make payroll

✅ Why most construction tech companies plateau at $3-5M ARR and never break through

✅ How to know when you've actually found product-market fit versus when you're chasing a ghost

Watch now to hear the full conversation about what it really takes to build in construction tech.

Our Sponsor

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Startup Journeys 

05:47 Navigating the Pre-Seed Stage 

12:47 The Importance of Pre-Sales and Pivoting 

17:39 Understanding Product Market Fit 

23:22 Defining Product Market Fit in Construction Tech 

31:14 Facing Startup Challenges and Scary Moments 

33:25 Navigating Financial Challenges 

37:07 The Importance of Family in Business 

39:00 Facing Fear of Failure and Pivots 

40:32 Balancing Hype and Substance in Business 

48:47 Endurance in Entrepreneurship 

54:53 Optimizing for People in Startups

"It's compounding and becoming more of a crisis."

That's how Susan Brattberg described the digital skills gap facing our industry right now.

And honestly? She's not wrong.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we sat down with Susan Brattberg, co-founder and Chief Customer Officer at Global eTraining, and what started as a conversation about an epic rooftop party at Autodesk University (300 people, live band, line dancing - yeah, these guys know how to do marketing) turned into a deep dive on something way more important.

We talked about why training isn't just a nice-to-have anymore... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why the digital skills gap is now the #1 priority for CIOs across ALL industries globally

✅ How technology is changing faster than ever - and why the old "train every couple years" approach is dead

✅ The real ROI companies are seeing when their teams actually know how to use their tools (hint: projects run way smoother)

✅ How AI is flipping the edu-tech space upside down - and why most companies have already dropped out of this niche

Susan's been doing this for 17 years (her company's campus history goes back even longer), and she's seen the evolution firsthand. From physical campuses to on-demand training to AI-powered rapid content development.

If you're wondering why your projects feel chaotic or why new software rollouts never stick... this episode might have some answers.

Watch the full episode out on Spotify and Youtube.

AU Videos mentioned in the episode:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/global-etraining_au2025-au-autodeskuniversity-activity-7374516713171664896-yoyb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAJfYIoBfEM4rfr-mO14vIEG1k9e5LzxSeQ

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/global-etraining_au2025-autodeskuniversity-au-activity-7374516639838638081-fCS8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAJfYIoBfEM4rfr-mO14vIEG1k9e5LzxSeQ

Our Sponsors:

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

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:55 Introduction to the Journey 

06:57 The Impact of Digital Skills Gap 

09:50 Transitioning to Online Training 

13:01 The Evolution of Training Methods 

15:49 The Shift from Physical to Digital 

18:50 Understanding Training Needs 

21:44 Overcoming Initial Challenges 

24:46 Current Trends in Training 

27:45 The Role of AI in Training 

30:45 Growth and Future Directions 

35:00 Shifts in Business Post-COVID 

37:45 Managing Growth and Team Dynamics 

41:52 Sales Strategies and Customer Engagement 

44:45 The Power of Branding and Events 

52:32 Balancing Family and Business 

54:22 The Competitive Landscape of E-Learning 

56:31 Future Trends in E-Learning and AI