From clearing landmines to building the "Google Maps of what's beneath the ground" - sometimes the most unexpected backgrounds create the biggest breakthroughs.

Most people can't imagine that we don't actually know where underground utilities are buried. Yet there are 169,000 construction projects happening every single day in the US that need this critical information.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Itzik from 4M Analytics and we got to learn about turning military explosive detection expertise into construction tech, the tragic consequences when underground mapping fails, and how AI is revolutionizing subsurface data... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How military landmine detection skills translate to finding buried utilities

✅ Why 8% of every construction budget goes to unknown underground risks

✅ The business model that maps once but sells the same data forever

✅ From 104 employees to mapping 22 US states in one year

Ready to discover how one founder is preventing construction disasters while building a unicorn? Listen now on Spotify.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:00 From Military to Mapping: The Journey Begins

04:56 Building the Google Maps of the Subsurface

08:07 Navigating the Challenges of Investment

10:49 Understanding the Utility Coordination Landscape

13:57 The Pain Points in Construction and Excavation

17:01 The Value Proposition of 4M Analytics

19:56 The Role of Technology in Mapping Subsurface Utilities

23:13 AI and Its Impact on Data Accuracy

25:48 The Importance of Timing in Tech Solutions

28:56 Innovations in Data Collection and AI Integration

41:01 The Future of Construction and AI

42:17 Expansion and Focus on the US Market

45:36 Navigating Challenges and Learning from Mistakes

51:41 Adapting Go-to-Market Strategies

57:01 Achieving Product-Market Fit

01:02:21 The Role of a CEO in a Growing Company

01:10:14 Closing Thoughts and Future Initiatives

"Hiring young, cheap marketers is actually more expensive than hiring experienced ones."

That's just one of the eye-opening insights from Phil Carpenter, a fractional CMO who specializes in AEC tech startups.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, we had Phil Carpenter and we got to learn about why most AEC startups fail at marketing, the hidden costs of inexperienced hires, and how to actually reach construction professionals... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why AEC customers are more skeptical than other industries and what they really want to see

✅ The "crossing the chasm" strategy that determines startup success or failure

✅ Why LinkedIn marketing doesn't work for most construction professionals

✅ How to build a cost-effective marketing team without breaking the bank

Phil's 30 years of experience in tech marketing reveals some uncomfortable truths about how startups waste money on the wrong strategies.

Ready to learn from his wins and failures? Listen to the full episode on Spotify now.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:00 Introduction to Phil Carpenter

03:59 The AEC Industry and Marketing Needs

06:01 Crossing the Chasm in Technology Marketing

08:01 Identifying Target Segments

10:53 Customer Research and Validation

13:05 Content Marketing Strategies

15:10 The Role of Content Creators in Marketing

16:56 SEO and AI in Marketing

18:56 Testing Marketing Channels

21:52 Public Relations in AEC Marketing

24:58 Budgeting for Startups

36:13 Measuring Marketing Performance

39:59 Finding the Right Marketing Strategy

41:53 The Experimenter's Mindset in Marketing

42:56 Creative Marketing Stunts

44:14 The Importance of Customer Case Studies

47:08 Building the Right Marketing Tech Stack

49:59 Scaling Marketing Strategies as Startups Grow

53:18 Aligning Marketing and Sales for Success

55:24 Consultative Approach to Startup Marketing

59:58 Learning from Marketing Campaigns

01:03:13 The Fast Follower Strategy

01:05:07 Emerging Trends in AEC Technology Marketing

"Bringing in a CRO too early is the death of any business. It's like bringing in Lewis Hamilton and saying drive my Fiat in a school zone."

In today's episode of the Bricks & Bytes, we had Ricky from Deep Space and we got to learn about why most founders hire the wrong sales leadership at the wrong time, how to scale from zero to unicorn status, and the brutal reality of go-to-market in construction tech... and many more!

Ricky took simPro from $10M to over $1B valuation as their first CRO. Now he's doing it again with Deep Space while running his own venture fund.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ The exact revenue stage when you should hire a CRO (hint: it's not when you think)

✅ Why construction sales still requires picking up the phone in 2025

✅ How to build repeatable sales processes that actually work in AEC

✅ The real difference between good and bad revenue leaders

Listen now on Spotify and learn from someone who's actually built the playbook.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:50 Introduction and Guest Background

05:48 Ricky's Journey in Tech and Venture Capital

09:56 The Role of a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

13:56 Sales Strategies and Market Adaptation

17:51 Building Trust and Value in Sales

21:46 Hiring Sales Reps and Team Dynamics

25:38 Identifying the Right CRO for Your Business

29:49 Metrics for Evaluating a CRO

33:55 Advice for Early-Stage Founders

36:01 Marketing and Content Strategy in AEC Tech

37:54 Navigating Domain Expertise in Marketing

41:15 Understanding the Sales Cycle Touchpoints

43:49 Essential Tools for Early-Stage Businesses

45:51 Deep Space: The Future of Construction Management Software

52:52 Transparent Pricing in Software Solutions

53:46 The Evolution of Product Management

55:50 Balancing AI Adoption with Business Strategy

57:52 Analyzing Ricky's LinkedIn Insights

"We're in an industry that loves ROI calculators... but the industry has built some sort of skepticism to these ROI calculators."

This reality check from David Horesh hit different.

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had David Horesh and we got to learn about why construction marketing is still a blue ocean, how to avoid the handshake trap, and why memes might be your secret weapon... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why understanding construction jargon is make-or-break for tech marketers

✅ The leaky bucket problem killing your sales funnel

✅ How AI agents can replace entire marketing teams

✅ Why construction professionals want memes with their morning coffee

David spent 7 years helping construction tech companies go from zero to serious ARR. His insights on digital marketing in a traditional industry will change how you think about go-to-market.

Listen now on Spotify and discover what most construction tech founders get wrong about marketing.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:52 Introduction to David Horesh and His Journey

04:50 Understanding Go-To-Market Strategies

07:52 The Importance of Knowing Your Customer

10:52 Defining Go-To-Market Team Structures

13:50 Navigating Change in the Construction Industry

16:54 Building Relationships and Network Effects

19:43 The Role of ROI in Marketing Strategies

22:54 Marketing Channels in Construction

26:00 Leveraging Digital Marketing in Construction

28:42 Creating Engaging Content for the Industry

38:22 Building Relationships in Marketing

40:37 From Traffic to Sales: The Conversion Process

43:27 The Importance of Awareness and Trust

48:52 Understanding the Marketing Funnel

55:58 Recruiting the Right Marketing Talent

01:01:51 Leveraging AI in Marketing

01:04:51 Measuring Marketing Success

"Pen and paper is still one of the largest competitors that construction tech has."

That's what Kalyn Lengieza, owner of Grindstone Consultants, told us during our latest conversation. And honestly, it hit different.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Kalyn and we got to learn about why authenticity beats fancy tech features, how relationships still drive deals in our industry, and the real secrets behind successful construction tech marketing... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why deals still get done on golf courses and job site trailers

✅ The time, talent, treasure framework for resource allocation

✅ How to use AI and tools like Gong to understand your customers better

✅ Why most construction tech companies are positioning themselves wrong

This episode is packed with actionable insights for founders, marketers, and anyone trying to crack the construction tech code.

Listen now on Spotify and let us know what resonates with you in the comments.

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# Podcast Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:56 Introduction and Unique Connections

05:10 The Importance of Authenticity in Construction Tech Marketing

07:46 Kalyn's Role and Daily Involvement in Grindstone

10:55 Building Relationships and Customer Acquisition Costs

14:00 Leveraging AI and Tools for Marketing Efficiency

16:41 Time, Talent, and Treasure Framework for Startups

19:53 Prioritizing Marketing and Sales Initiatives

22:47 Testing and Iterating Marketing Strategies

26:03 Maintaining Customer Touchpoints and Nurturing Relationships

28:54 Final Thoughts on Marketing in Construction Tech

32:50 Creating a Cohesive Marketing Strategy

34:58 Winning at Product Marketing

36:07 Understanding Your Customers

37:48 Common Positioning Mistakes

41:08 Effective Messaging Frameworks

42:57 Tailoring Messaging for Different Personas

47:59 Key Metrics for Success

52:33 Generating Qualified Leads

55:53 The Best Channels for Customer Engagement

59:17 Radical Changes in Go-to-Market Strategies

"I can't tell you how many times I'm on LinkedIn, see an AEC tech company post something, click their profile, and have NO IDEA what they do."

That's Kevin Ferguson speaking - and if a product marketing expert in our industry can't figure out what these companies do, what chance do customers have?

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Kevin and we got to learn about why most AEC startups are failing at basic messaging, the real difference between hype and reality in construction tech, and how to actually position products that sell... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why 2,000+ AEC tech companies can't explain what they do

✅ The one thing that kills more startups than bad products

✅ How to break through the noise in a relationship-driven industry

✅ Why your website is actually your biggest sales tool

This episode will change how you think about marketing in construction tech.

Listen now on Spotify and let us know what resonates with you.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:47 Introduction to AEC Marketing and Kevin Ferguson

06:58 The Importance of Clear Messaging in AEC Tech

11:38 Niche Marketing in AEC Technology

16:52 Identifying Target Personas in AEC Tech

21:51 The Role of Customer Feedback in Messaging

26:49 Balancing Product Quality and Marketing

31:43 Effective Product Positioning Strategies

36:56 The Importance of Clarity in Messaging

38:07 Choosing the Right Medium for Communication

39:36 Building Trust in Relationships

40:36 Leveraging Owned Channels for Marketing

42:36 Breaking Down Complexity in Product Messaging

45:46 Evolving Messaging with Product Development

47:01 Strategies for Successful Product Launches

54:31 Post-Launch Evaluation and Metrics

1:02:00 Lessons from Microsoft for Product Marketing

"WhatsApp processes billion-dollar construction orders while ERPs sit unused as glorified data entry systems in Africa.."

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Kagure Wamunyu from Jumba and we got to learn about how African tech companies must build entire ecosystems from scratch, why 60% of Kenya's GDP runs on mobile money, and how construction distribution works in emerging markets... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How Uber Kenya became the first 100% cash market using manual Excel reconciliation

✅ Why Kenyans build homes instead of buying them due to 15% mortgage rates

✅ The reality of building construction tech in Africa where you become multiple businesses

✅ How WhatsApp has become the primary business operating system across African companies

From civil engineering to dropping out of Oxford PhD to revolutionize construction supply chains across Africa, Kagure shares the untold story of adapting global tech solutions to local market realities.

Her journey from handling driver strikes as Uber's face in Kenya to building Jumba shows how founders in emerging markets navigate challenges that don't exist elsewhere.

Watch now on Youtube to hear the full conversation about building in markets where traditional assumptions don't apply.

00:00 Intro01:55 Kagure's Journey: From Nairobi to Tech Innovator04:52 The Uber Experience: Adapting Technology to Local Markets07:53 Understanding Mobile Money: The Backbone of Kenyan Transactions10:53 Navigating Challenges: From Uber to EdTech13:59 The Birth of Jumba: Merging Construction and Technology16:48 Jumba's Business Model: Connecting Hardware Stores and Manufacturers20:09 Strategic Product Focus: Cement, Steel, and Beyond22:56 Scaling Operations: The Role of Hardware Stores in Construction25:45 SaaS Development: Building Technology for the Construction Industry28:30 Streamlining Financial Processes with SaaS29:35 Building Tech Products in Africa34:35 Navigating Talent and Fundraising in Kenya39:35 Understanding African Market Dynamics43:54 Sales Strategies in Construction Tech48:30 Challenges and Advantages of Being a Female Founder49:57 Lessons Learned and Future Ambitions

"We reacted too late to the labor shortage. Now we need to work smarter - it has to happen."

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Tyler Campbell, host of Construction Brothers Podcast, and we got to learn about why construction tech keeps failing, the reality behind the $13 trillion industry myth, and how major projects still run on Excel spreadsheets... and many more!

Tyler shared eye-opening insights from his journey building FieldProof and interviewing hundreds of industry leaders.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why RFIs have become weapons for project delays

✅ The real reason construction apps fail to get field adoption

✅ How a £100 million project runs entirely on Excel

✅ Why robotics and AI agents are the only path forward

The construction industry is more fragmented than we think. Time to face the hard truths about where we're heading.

Watch now on Youtube to hear the full conversation about construction's biggest challenges and what comes next.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:50 Introduction and Podcast Origins

04:53 The Fragmentation of the Construction Industry

07:43 The Journey of Starting a Podcast

13:50 Content Creation and Audience Engagement

19:55 Challenges and Issues in the Construction Industry

28:14 Comparing Construction Markets: US vs UK

32:04 Mindset and Risk-Taking in Construction

36:17 The Role of Technology in Construction

39:36 Data Collection Challenges in Construction

44:44 The Future of Robotics in Construction

51:21 Human-Centric Technology in Construction