Practical Nerds

By Patric Hellermann

The latest in venture and technology in the real world, from construction-tech to design-tech. Two early-stage investors shooting the breeze about startups, founders and venture funding. We talk about... more

· Technology

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FAQs about Practical Nerds:

How many episodes does Practical Nerds have?

The podcast currently has 69 episodes available.

Practical Nerds episodes:

November 23, 2023019⎢Behind the scenes war stories: Where Constru-Tech met unethical behaviors over the years⎢And why we passed
This week has some behind the scenes war stories:
Questionable behaviors in Constru-Tech deals that Patric and Shub have seen over the years, and led them to pass on those deals

Founders botching revenue recognition and other cases of book-cooking

Founders setting up hidden corporate structures which could lead to personal gains

VC's blocking deals and making deals for personal enrichment at expense of the startup or their partners

Straight up, Board members charged with bribery accusations

Patric and Shub discuss hidden stories of questionable behaviors that have led investors to walk away from deals in the construction tech sector. Examples include a botched funding round due to problematic revenue recognition, a VC blocking an outside investment in one company to force a quid pro quo investment in another company they partially owned, vague accusations of "book cooking" by a prominent founder's past investors, a founder secretly enriching themselves through an offshore subsidiary, bribery accusations against a board member, and sibling VCs scheming to promote one of themselves through a shaky deal. These stories demonstrate issues around greed, self-enrichment, abuse of power, and deception that can undermine deals even at the last minute. The podcast covers ways founders can safeguard their companies and partnerships to avoid these pitfalls.
...more
58min
November 13, 2023018⎢Snaptrude's $14M Series-A⎢How new technologies unlock big challengers to the 3D/CAD incumbents⎢Why the community plays a big role in changing the AEC design stack
This week:
Snaptrude's $14M raise for 3D AEC design

New technologies are enabling next-gen platforms

Why the time for challenging legacy 3D/CAD incumbents has never been better

Leveraging community, open source and multiplayer unlocks new distribution forms

Software spend per 3D user will double in the next years

This episode explores the major shifts happening in construction tech and AEC software. We discuss Snaptrude's recent $14 million Series A raise to build a "Figma for 3D AEC" led by Foundamental and Accel, and how they aim to bring real-time collaboration to 3D design.

We also examine the frustrations with legacy construction tech vendors and their closed-off, desktop-centric tools. However, new startups have an opportunity to disrupt them by utilizing cloud, APIs, multiplayer, browser and better optimization for concurrency.

3D design startups in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) can gain an edge through community building and embracing open source, compared to the incumbent's historical top-down approach. And workforce shrinkage means construction firms will double their software spend per user as they automate more workflows. New technologies are enabling the creation of next-gen construction platforms.
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52min
November 04, 2023017⎢The AI-procurement-agent opportunity in construction supply chains⎢How VC processes (in AEC-Tech) work and vary⎢Why diligence with strategic can be misleading for VC's in AEC
This week:
AI procurement agents in construction, and why construction supply chains are perfect for it

Raising capital from generalists vs specialists (and from Foundamental specifically)

Why diligence that heavily relies on strategics can be very mis-leading

This week Patric and Shubhankar discuss the potential for AI "procurement agents" to streamline purchasing for construction companies. They compare raising capital from generalist investors versus specialists focused on construction tech, explaining how their diligence process and priorities differ. The episode wraps up with them sharing what they are looking forward to in the coming week, including a new opportunity in timber/lumber and an exciting 3D reconstruction software company.
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58min
October 23, 2023016⎢Why construction firms are increasing their software budgets⎢Why that is counter-cyclical to other sectors⎢AI applications emerging in Constru-Tech
This week's main topic:
Construction firms increasing software budgets despite cuts in other sectors

Utilization and margins driving need for process improvements and new software

Construction projects provide flexibility to trial software on select projects

Supply chain and working capital financing software of interest right now
We also chat about:
AI applications emerging in construction tech deals; use cases matter for defensibility

(Tech) conferences often echo chambers with little ROI; why small, focused events prove useful
...more
31min
October 15, 2023015⎢Fundamental shifts in construction⎢The state of Constru-Tech VC funding in Q4-2023⎢17 Constru-Tech Unicorns
This week:
Several fundamental shifts for founders and venture investors in the construction markets

Why solving for a shortage transformers, cables and power infrastructure is a billion-dollar opportunity in AEC

The state of Constru-Tech VC funding per Q4-2023

How Constru-Tech outperforms the total venture market since 2021 by 3x, and why constru-Tech hubs grow faster outside USA

Sneak peek at upcoming analysis of the 17 Constru-Tech Unicorns across the globe
...more
39min
September 30, 2023014⎢Rayon: The future multiplayer design software stack⎢2D vs. 3D⎢BIM lite and CAD light⎢The future design software stack
This week with Bastien Dolla, co-founder at Rayon (https://www.rayon.design)
How Rayon changes the space-design game for millions of designers, architects, office managers, facility managers, event planners, contractors and many others

In what ways multiplayer, concurrency and github-like solutions are becoming the default in the future 2D/3D design stack

Why incumbent tools are having a tough time to switch their legacy stack over to a multiplayer solution with object-level versioning

What in Rayon's founders' backgrounds led them to create Rayon

How "right-fidelity" is key to crack the millions of design professionals that are under-served by incumbent tools

Why BIM-lite / CAD-lite is the next big thing
...more
59min
September 23, 2023013⎢Net-profitability in Constru-Tech startups - Achievable and desirable⎢Why and how founders in AEC get net-profitability done⎢Net-profitable venture examples in AEC
This week:
Net-profitability for founders in Constru-Tech

Why profitability is desirable

How it is achievable and doable

Examples in Con-Tech who have done it

Definitions, and why the NET in net-profitability matters
...more
58min
September 09, 2023012⎢Indian Constru-Tech landscape⎢First-gen Constru-Tech's vs. the next-generation
This week:
What the Indian Construction-Tech market looks like, who are marquee Con-Tech's in India, and how to foster great founder partnerships in India

In what ways the first-generation of Construction-Tech models differ from the next-generation of Con-Tech companies we are seeing break out in USA, Europe and Asia
...more
51min
September 02, 2023011⎢Building materials factories⎢Wildfires v. the built-world - and a generational founding opportunity in it⎢Our climate-tech hot takes
This week:
How tech up-skilling of building materials factories works, and what the nerds love about that model

Why wildfire response (and disaster response in general) could present a massive tech opportunity for founders

What hot takes the nerds have on the $70B of VC funding that went into climate-tech just in 2022
...more
57min
August 19, 2023010⎢Features of Constru-Tech startups we love⎢Why M&A is broken for acquirers⎢The state of recent Constru-tech VC in 2023
This week:
What features in ConstructionTech startups the Foundamental investors have come to love over the years

Why M&A is picking up, and yet how 15 buy-side M&A professionals think the M&A process is broken and painful

How venture capital in ConTech is shaping up in recent weeks
...more
56min

FAQs about Practical Nerds:

How many episodes does Practical Nerds have?

The podcast currently has 69 episodes available.