October 08, 2025

How to Win Work Without a Big Portfolio (with Lance Cayko)

46 minutes

#36: In this episode, I sit down with Lance Cayko, Principal & Co-founder of F9 Productions, F12 Development, F14 Construction, and co-host of Inside the Firm, to tackle one of the biggest myths in architecture: “I need a portfolio in a new market before I can win work there.”

Lance shares how he and his partner Alex built F9 from nothing into a vertically-integrated architecture, development, and construction business. We talk about reframing objections, active networking with builders and developers, and why clients don’t really need to “see it first” if you can show them you understand their priorities.

This episode is a blueprint for any architect trying to break into a new market or typology without waiting years to “earn” the project first.

Follow Lance on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-cayko-1227031a/
Check out F9 Productions: https://f9productions.com/
Subscribe to Inside the Firm Podcast: https://www.insidethefirmpodcast.com/
Watch Lance’s fishing adventures: https://www.youtube.com/@FishingwithLance
Work with Tyler: Send the word “Grow” to [email protected]

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What You’ll Learn:

(00:39) The common myth: “I need a case study project first”
(01:11) How F9 Productions started with zero built work and modeled everything as if it were built
(02:39) Why you don’t need all your principles figured out from day one
(04:04) How to uncover and address client objections (and what Lance learned from his realtor wife)
(06:01) The sales pitch that won F9 its first duplex project
(07:21) Why reassuring clients about your process matters more than pretty pictures
(09:34) F9’s evolution into F12 Development and F14 Construction
(11:27) Getting comfortable saying “I don’t know” (and leaning on experts)
(12:25) How strategic partnerships with contractors accelerate learning new typologies
(13:23) Getting out of the architect silo to learn from other industries
(15:41) The biggest myth: clients must “see it” before hiring you
(16:11) Why you must find their real objection—not guess at it
(18:07) Why forms don’t work for discovery (and what to do instead)
(19:25) Commercial clients are emotional too—just about different risks
(20:21) The key discovery question Lance asks every client: “Help me understand what’s driving this project”
(22:14) Using client priorities as the through-line for proposals, negotiations, and delivery
(24:04) How to mirror back priorities during fee discussions to overcome objections
(28:06) Why active outreach beats internal “case study” projects when entering new markets
(29:55) Learning from builders and developers—drop the ego and take them to lunch
(31:17) “Luck” as an outcome of activity, not passivity
(32:22) The Amazon HQ case study that went viral and led to real projects
(34:07) The first step to breaking into a new market: conversations, not portfolios
(37:32) Metrics that matter: proposal requests, win rate, and why >50% means you’re too cheap
(40:00) Understanding why clients see you as “equal value” and how to differentiate
(41:36) Matching your proposal format to the client’s mindset (numbers for developers)
(43:37) Experiments that build trust—like tying your fee to hitting their timeline
(45:11) Where to follow Lance, F9, Inside the Firm, and his 100K-subscriber fishing channel