"Don't build shitty products for problems that don't exist."

This brutal advice from Maksim hit different. After spinning off from his first AEC tech company Kreo, he's now building PVFarm - solar design software that's pulling in $40K average revenue per customer.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Maksim and we got to learn about why distribution beats product in AEC, how he cracked the $150M solar design market, and why most startup marketing tactics fail in construction tech... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why relationship-based sales trump amazing products in AEC 

✅ The two pathways to selling enterprise software in construction

✅ Why LinkedIn outreach and email marketing don't work for AEC startups 

✅ How vertical integration beats horizontal CAD tools for specific building types

Listen now on Spotify to hear how Maksim went from building multiple failed products to finding product-market fit with a 40-hour learning curve software that customers love.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Maxim and His Journey in AEC Tech

03:02 Lessons Learned from Creo: Market Understanding and Sales Strategies

05:58 The Relationship Between Sunbeam and PVFarm

09:12 Understanding Sunbeam's Focus and Product Offerings

11:57 The Importance of Collaboration in Design

14:54 Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Solar Design Software

17:57 Market Size and Growth Potential in Solar PV

20:56 Go-to-Market Strategies and Customer Engagement

23:58 Building Value Through Education and Relationships

26:55 Webinars as a Tool for Engagement and Education

33:28 The Value of Community Engagement

33:56 Marketing Strategies That Fail

36:00 Leveraging AI for Usability

39:26 Navigating the AI Landscape

41:14 Building Robust Tools in a Competitive Market

43:52 The Go-Kill Framework for Product Ideas

46:22 The Role of a CEO in a Tech Startup

51:53 Balancing Discipline and Flexibility in Teams

52:41 Successful Products in AEC

54:51 Building in Different Markets

57:12 The Importance of Community in Tech

59:20 Managing Remote Teams

01:01:08 The Intersection of Jiu-Jitsu and Business