What happens when a VC flips to the founder side and raises $13.8M to fix the biggest broken relationship in construction?

In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP and Nick finally reveal what's been hiding in plain sight across 20+ podcast episodes: Zero RFI, KP's human-first AI-scaffolded platform company purpose-built to modernize the construction industry at scale. After spending two years in conversation with General Catalyst – not shopping decks, just iterating on conviction – KP was handed $13.8M and a mandate to solve the asymmetry of information that leaves owners helpless: architects billing by the hour, contractors burying change orders in in 400-notifications floods, and buildings delivered 80% over budget.

The reveal unpacks everything: why Zero RFI and why now? why Zero RFI isn't SaaS (it's people backed by AI toolboxes), why scaling means buying 50-person firms rather than chasing enterprise sales, and why the owner's rep model is the only position with enough leverage to actually drive industry change. KP breaks down why BIM failed owners 15 years ago, why most construction projects run 80% over budget (McKinsey data, not hyperbole), and why his biggest technical risk is Anthropic releasing features that render what his team just built obsolete. The through-line? Technology has created deflation in virtually every other industry – construction remains the exception, and Zero RFI might finally be the answer.

Key questions answered:

• How did KP raise $13.8M from General Catalyst without shopping pitch decks?
• What does "human-first AI scaffolding" actually mean for an owner's rep?
• Are most construction projects really 80% over budget?
• Why do owners suffer from information asymmetry against their own vendors?
• How does Zero RFI scale—buying companies or SaaS sales?
• How does Zero RFI become distribution for Shadow Ventures portfolio companies?
• Can you actually break the billable hour model in AEC?

If you're an owner tired of 80% budget overruns and zero accountability, a VC wondering what happens when your partner becomes a founder, or a startup trying to crack owner distribution, this episode reveals the playbook for leveraging AI scaffolding to fix construction's most broken relationship.

Listen now.