"The best renewal is no renewal. So closing a three-year agreement, right?"

In today's episode of our Go To Market Series from the Bricks & Bytes Podcast, we have Kevin Halter (CRO of OpenSpace) share his journey from scaling PlanGrid from $5M to $100M+ ARR and building high-performing sales teams in construction tech.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why construction tech requires a unique go-to-market approach focused on project-level ROI

✅ How to transition from project-level sales to enterprise agreements (the key to breaking the $10M ARR ceiling)

✅ What to look for when hiring sales talent ("fire in the belly")

✅ When founders should hire their first VP of Sales vs CRO

Whether you're a founder struggling with the 5-10M ARR plateau or a sales leader in construction tech, this episode delivers practical insights on building scalable go-to-market motions in an industry where "it's easy to start a pilot, but hard to scale."

06:30 Introduction to Construction Tech Journey09:30 Scaling from 5M to 100M ARR12:31 Understanding Project-Level Value15:22 Building Trust and Transparency in Construction18:28 Transitioning to Enterprise-Level Sales21:28 The Importance of Customer Success Management24:28 Hiring the Right Sales Team27:29 Effective Communication with Executives30:24 Building Long-Term Partnerships33:31 Creating a Scalable Sales Model44:47 Building Long-Term Partnerships (appears to be repeated)48:30 Lessons from Biotech for Construction Tech53:17 Hiring and Scaling Sales Team57:57 Developing Talent and Leadership1:07:31 Choosing the Right Company to Join1:14:53 When to Hire a Chief Revenue Officer

"Genius is 99% perspiration and only 1% innovation."

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we have Darren Martin, Chief Digital Officer at Atkins Realis, sharing powerful insights about technology implementation in a global engineering firm with 40,000 employees.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How they evaluate technology investments (looking for at least 4X ROI within 12-18 months)

✅ The challenges of integrating startup technologies into enterprise environments

✅ Their approach to AI implementation across the organization

✅ Why future construction will combine "hyper personalization and hyper modularization"

Listen now on Spotify to hear Darren's perspectives on innovation at scale in the AEC industry!

"We got to a million dollars in ARR by taking meetings any way we could - sending chunky mail, handwritten cards, even just picking up the phone. It's simple."

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we had Martin Roth sharing his journey as Levelset's go-to-market leader and the real-world tactics that helped scale the business to a successful exit.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why the first million in revenue requires founders to do the selling themselves

✅ The five key traits Martin looks for when hiring salespeople (grit, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, curiosity, ambition)

✅ How selling to construction differs from typical B2B SaaS

✅ Why you should never hire a sales director before hitting $1M in ARR

Martin reveals how Levelset went from $1.5M to $10M ARR in six years, then doubled to $20M in just 18 months once they figured out their go-to-market strategy. A must-listen for construction tech founders looking to scale sales operations.

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Timestamps

00:00 Intro

05:06 Introduction to the Journey

09:10 Early Days at Levelset

17:14 Go-to-Market Strategy Evolution

23:59 Sales Techniques and Lessons Learned

26:04 Differences in Construction Tech vs. B2B SaaS

29:42 Understanding the Construction Industry's Landscape

35:23 Navigating Messaging Challenges in a Diverse Market

42:58 Sales Strategies for SMB vs. Enterprise Markets

53:27 Handling Long Sales Cycles in Construction

56:06 Navigating Enterprise Sales Challenges

58:57 The Role of Champions in Sales

1:01:54 Understanding the Cost of Adoption

1:05:12 Effective Communication in Sales

1:06:54 Key Traits of Successful Salespeople

1:14:11 Building a Sales Team and Leadership Dynamics

"AI in construction isn't just hype - we're in construction, so we know nobody will deploy solutions based on hype alone."

In today's episode of Brick and Bytes, we had Vivin Hegde from Zakua Ventures sharing insights on construction tech investments and market trends.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why robotics is becoming essential in construction (labor shortage is only getting worse)

✅ The three-tier approach to AI adoption in construction tech

✅ Why FlexNode's modular data centers could grow faster than any construction tech startup in 15 years

✅ How geopolitical uncertainty is reshaping construction tech investment priorities

Vivin also shared fascinating details about their recent investments in excavator automation, real estate platforms, and next-gen robotics. If you're interested in where construction tech is heading, this episode is packed with valuable insights!

Listen now on Spotify:

"Loading 19 files, each over a gigabyte, into a web browser and manipulating them like butter was the moment I knew I had to join Qonic." - Aaron Perry, former digital design lead at one of UK's largest architecture firms.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we sat down with Mark and Aaron from Qonic to explore how they're revolutionizing AEC software with cloud-native technology that overcomes the limitations of decades-old industry tools.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why existing AEC software built in the 90s is holding the industry back

✅ How Qonic handles complex construction models that traditional tools can't process 

✅ Their innovative "per project size" pricing model instead of per-user licensing

✅ Why contractors adopt new tech faster than architects (hint: it's not about the colors)

Listen to the full conversation on Spotify to discover how Qonic is enabling true collaboration across the entire building lifecycle.

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Chapters

00:00 Founding Koniq: A New Era in AEC Software

03:03 The Future of AEC Software: Insights and Innovations

05:58 Challenges in the AEC Industry: Software Limitations

08:55 Interoperability and Collaboration: Bridging the Gaps

12:00 Koniq's Unique Approach: Transforming Design and Construction

14:46 The Role of Koniq in the AEC Landscape

17:59 Market Positioning: Koniq's Strategy and Vision

20:59 The Future of AEC Tools: Collaboration vs. Monopolization

24:01 Koniq's Value Proposition: Cost Efficiency and Innovation

27:04 The Impact of AI on AEC Software

29:57 Looking Ahead: The Future of Koniq and AEC Software

39:00 The Role of AI in Architecture

45:02 Modern Architect Needs and Software Solutions

52:01 Understanding the Customer Base

55:55 Innovative Pricing Models and ROI

01:02:02 Bootstrapping and Go-to-Market Strategies

"I love my iPhone, but you don't hear people say, I love my consultant."

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we welcomed Angelos Nicolaou from Sektor AI who shared fascinating insights about construction tech adoption, the "anti-consultant" movement, and why technology must equal profitability.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How Sektor helps companies avoid wasting billions on unused technology

✅ Why large companies with tiny innovation teams need external firepower

✅ The race to adopt AI and how smaller companies can now compete with giants

✅ Why the consulting model is ripe for disruption through automation

The construction industry often treats each project like "a new startup" with new teams and processes built from scratch. Sektor is changing that through tech adoption that delivers measurable results.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify!

"To be able to provide more data faster, we need to rely on generation. In order to progress a project and know what's going to be built, you need floor plans." - Jesper on why floor plan generation matters.

In today's episode of the Future of Design Series from the Bricks and Bytes, we had Jesper, co-founder and CPO of Finch, sharing insights on construction tech and the evolution from architect to tech founder. His journey from running an architecture firm to building a tool that generates floor plans 13x faster is fascinating!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How a viral Grasshopper prototype led to a waiting list of 80,000 professionals

✅ Why interoperability between design tools is crucial for the AEC industry

✅ The importance of creating "compliant" floor plans that meet regional regulations

✅ Why Jesper believes the future of design stack will be a fragmented market with best-in-class tools

Listen to the full episode on Spotify to learn how Finch is transforming architectural workflows and why focus is the most valuable advice for construction tech founders.

Download the Future of Design report here: https://bricks-bytes.com/downloads/

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

06:25 From Architecture to Tech: Jesper's Journey

09:22 The Birth of Finch: Addressing Industry Frustrations

12:20 Innovating Design: The Unique Features of Finch

15:29 Compliance in Design: Ensuring Regulatory Adherence

18:30 The Future of Finch: Focus and Interoperability

21:36 Understanding the Market Need: Why Floor Plans Matter

24:18 Client Success Stories: Efficiency and Time Savings

27:33 Defensibility and Competition: Standing Out in the Market

30:15 Interoperability Challenges: Seamless Integration with Existing Tools

33:13 Emerging Tools in Architecture and Design

36:07 Understanding Finch's Target Audience

38:45 Go-to-Market Strategies and Lessons Learned

39:58 Team Structure and Development Focus

42:59 Funding and Financial Strategy

47:28 Future of Design Tools in Construction

"Insulation has a 3-4x better ROI than heat pumps and 10x better than solar systems. Most people get this wrong when retrofitting their homes."

In today's episode of the podcast, we had Chris from VARM, who shared his journey of building a VC-backed installation business aimed at becoming the European champion in the space.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How VARM is building a "cloud installer network" - a franchise model on steroids

✅ Why Chris pivoted from longevity e-commerce to climate tech after successfully exiting his first business

✅ The surprising fundraising reality: "VCs and markets and investments are very often done based on FOMO"

✅ Their ambitious mission to insulate 1 million houses over 10 years

Listen to the full episode on Spotify to learn how VARM is revolutionizing the insulation industry with their innovative business model and scaling strategy.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

06:20 The Journey to Vaughan: Chris's Background

09:19 From Management Consulting to Entrepreneurship

12:17 Building a Sustainable Business: The Vision for Varm

15:19 Why Insulation? The Case for Energy Efficiency

18:24 Blown-In Insulation: A Smart Choice

21:20 The Business Model: Cloud Installer Network

24:08 Empowering Installers: The Business in a Box

27:25 Growth Strategy and Customer Acquisition

36:04 Community Engagement and Education

39:26 Content Marketing Strategies

40:59 Learning Through Experience

43:12 The Cloud Installer Model

45:52 Investor Relations and Fundraising

47:38 Resource Allocation and Growth

48:45 Understanding Competition

51:09 Creating Win-Win Situations

52:24 Market Expansion Plans

55:55 Defining Success Metrics

57:40 Cultural Fit in Hiring

1:04:25 Advice for Founders in Physical Industries

"The future of building design is on the cloud. File-based design systems are becoming obsolete."

In today's episode of the Future of Design Series from the Bricks and Bytes podcast, we had Altaf from Snaptrude who shared fascinating insights about the evolution of design software in architecture and construction.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why cloud-based design tools are 10x faster than traditional file-based systems

✅ How data connectivity is transforming early-stage design workflows

✅ Why architects are wasting billable hours on rework and value engineering

✅ The coming inflection point for cloud-based design tools (predicted mid-to-late next year)

Altaf also revealed they're working on AI copilots that will revolutionize how architects make design decisions based on sustainability data. Don't miss this conversation about the tools that will shape our built environment.

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Download the Future of Design report here : https://bricks-bytes.com/downloads/

-----Chapters

00:00 Intro05:38 Introduction and Personal Updates08:42 The Future of Design and Construction11:45 SnapTrude: A Modern Approach to Design14:35 Collaboration and Interoperability in AEC17:32 Transitioning from Concept to Detailed Design20:38 Data Management and User Experience23:35 The Role of AI in Design Software26:46 Building Foundations for Future Growth29:47 Iterative Development and Customer Feedback32:44 Emerging Design Tools Landscape35:19 SnapTrude's Growth Strategy36:56 Focus on the US Market38:31 Investor Insights and Funding Journey40:41 Advice for Innovators in Design Tech42:37 Future of Design: Cloud and AI Integration45:23 Architects and New Tools Adoption48:36 Inflection Point for Cloud Adoption49:28 ROI and Productivity in Architecture51:18 Sustainability in Design54:06 Communication and Efficiency in Design

"We make money when our customers make money"

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Mike Powers and Ben Lyddane from BuildVision who shared their journey of raising a $10M Series A led by Norwest Ventures.

Their platform helps contractors procure mechanical and electrical equipment more efficiently, saving 20-30% on costs while creating new revenue streams for general contractors.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How BuildVision grew from processing $700M to over $1B in equipment transactions

✅ Their three-tiered pricing model that aligns with customer success

✅ How AI costs for processing documents dropped from thousands to just $1.40 monthly

✅ Why focusing on critical path items like chillers and generators (not commodity products) creates maximum value

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:05:35 Introduction and Series A Announcement

00:08:25 Build Vision Overview and Product Development

00:11:40 AI Integration in Procurement Solutions

00:14:41 Revenue Models and Customer Success

00:17:29 Growth and Future Projections

00:20:43 Challenges in the Construction Industry

00:23:35 Funding and Investor Relations

00:26:40 Technological Challenges and Solutions

00:29:28 Market Position and Competition

00:40:07 Navigating Risk in Construction

00:43:35 Building Strategic Partnerships

00:46:29 Outcomes Over Products

00:49:35 Challenges in the Buy-Sell Dynamic

00:51:25 Impact of Tariffs on Construction

00:55:30 Future of International Operations

00:56:25 The State of Construction Tech

01:06:21 Voice-Enabled Workflows and Future Prospects

01:08:41 Acquisition Strategies and Market Positioning