Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Warner Cowin.

A big theme in the world of business and economics this year, that I struggle to understand, yet is proven over and over again, is that in the middle of a construction boom companies in the sector are going bust left right and centre and no-one is said to be making any money. Which, when you look at supply and demand, and also things like the cost of materials, and the highly concentrated set-up for supply, seems a bit bananas.

Well, one figure in the industry, who is founder-CEO of procurement and bidding consultancy, Height, and so knows the business from both the pitch for and commission project sides of the fence, has a few idea that he has been sharing as to what might be off in this particular soup. His name is Warner Cowin, an ex RNZAF engineering officer, who’s taken many of the disciplines and skills from military life, a place so influential on business team structure accountability, culture, and systemisation, and used those to help build his successful 15 person consultancy.

To talk construction, things learnt in the services, and empowering Māori and pacific business through clever delivery of big projects, Warner joins the podcast

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