In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Victor Augusteo, CTO @ Boon, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, decision-making, artificial intelligence, construction technology, and the mental models that shape success. Victor shares lessons from his personal leadership journey, explaining how concepts like enlightened self-interest, situational awareness, and pattern recognition influence both business and life. The discussion explores how leaders can develop stronger decision-making skills, build resilient teams, and create systems that scale knowledge across organizations. The conversation also dives deep into the relationship between human cognition and AI, comparing neural networks to human thought processes and examining how desires, aspirations, communication, and emotional resilience affect performance in high-pressure environments. Later, Bill Lennan and Victor Augusteo explore the construction industry's growing adoption of AI, including the challenges of construction estimation, data acquisition, commercial building projects, and the emerging market for barn dominium construction. Victor shares insights into startup growth, technology adoption, and the future of specialized AI models designed for construction workflows. Topics covered: • Leadership and personal growth • Situational awareness and mental models • Decision-making under pressure • Emotional resilience and communication skills • Neural networks and human cognition • Artificial intelligence and pattern recognition • AI adoption in construction • Construction estimation software • Barn dominium design and construction • Commercial and industrial construction • Startup challenges and innovation • Data acquisition for AI models • Technology adoption and market trends Whether you're interested in leadership development, AI technology, entrepreneurship, construction innovation, or building high-performing teams, this episode offers valuable insights and practical takeaways. About the Guest: Victor Augusteo is CTO @ Boon, where he focuses on leveraging technology and AI to solve complex challenges in construction, estimation, and business operations. Connect with Victor Augusteo on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoraugusteo/ Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #VictorAugusteo #CTOatBoon #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #ConstructionTech #AI #Entrepreneurship #DecisionMaking #MentalModels #ConstructionIndustry #StartupGrowth #Technology #BusinessLeadership I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/ Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast