"We've nearly tripled our profits in three years - and it wasn't one big change, it was a million small ones."

In today's episode of the Bricks & Bytes, we had Marc Barone, COO of Buro Happold, and we got to learn about how they scaled from strong to exceptional, the real impact of AI on engineering productivity, and why listening matters more than action in your first 90 days as a leader... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ How Buro Happold grew 75% in three years while tripling profitability

✅ Why understanding what to say no to is as important as knowing what to say yes to

✅ The truth about measuring AI productivity gains and what actually works

✅ Why your first 90 days as COO should be about listening, not changing everything

Watch now on YouTube! Link in the comments!

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Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

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Chapters

• 00:00 Intro
• 03:35 Introduction and Background
• 05:36 Overview of Bureau Hapold
• 06:47 Technical vs Commercial Risk Management
• 08:59 Growth and Profitability Strategies
• 12:45 Path to COO Role
• 16:01 Leadership and Team Dynamics
• 19:45 Culture and Employee Engagement
• 25:39 Digital Transformation and AI Integration
• 33:38 Innovation and Technology Solutions
• 38:04 The Gradual Rollout of AI Tools
• 42:19 Balancing Automation and Human Resources
• 47:19 The Importance of Local Expertise
• 52:26 Evaluating AI Tools for Business
• 57:11 The Future of AI and Market Dynamics
• 01:04:17 Measuring Productivity Gains from Technology
• 01:09:08 First Steps for a New COO

71% of construction companies are still using Excel to manage thousands of employees—and it's costing them millions in lost projects.

In this episode of Bricks & Bytes, Owen and Martin sit down with Lauren Lake, co-founder of Bridgit, and Kevin Ferguson from AECO Product Marketing to uncover how two college students disrupted the construction workforce planning industry—and built a company that now serves half of the top 20 general contractors in North America.

In this episode:

Why 42% of contractors are turning down projects despite high demand (hint: it's not what you think)

The "crane hunting" strategy that led to a Harvard Business School case study

How Bridget went from $0 to $4M ARR in just 2 years by solving one simple problem

Why construction companies are now budgeting $100K+ for workforce planning software

The shocking reason employees are leaving construction jobs (and it's not the pay)

What happens when executives ask "where are our people?" and nobody knows the answer

The hidden cost of breaking up winning project teams after every job

How AI and experience tracking are revolutionizing team composition decisions

Why there's been ZERO research data on project team success since 1999

The global expansion playbook that worked across North America, Australia, and the UK

"Our goal was simple: we just need to replace Excel. And that's actually a really challenging goal." — Lauren Lake

Whether you're a contractor struggling with resource allocation, a tech founder looking for validation strategies, or simply curious about how construction's labor shortage is reshaping the industry—this episode reveals why workforce planning has become the most critical investment in construction technology.

Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

🎧 Listen to the Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xSpdQpmgf0xJvAsGAQRX5?si=QgmckXGVRnO46vOZKa0I1Q

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Enjoying the insights? Hit that Subscribe button to stay ahead in construction tech, AI, and the future of how we build.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:40 Introduction to Bridget and Its Founders

03:38 The Secret to Success in Workforce Planning

05:17 Identifying Pain Points in Workforce Planning

08:15 The Harvard Business School Case Study

12:08 Validating the Product with Early Customers

14:16 The Evolution of the Product

16:55 Challenges of Replacing Excel

18:12 The Importance of Visibility in Workforce Management

19:27 The State of Workforce Planning Report

20:39 Granular vs. Executive Workforce Management

22:35 Transforming Workforce Planning Meetings

24:41 Creating a New Category in Workforce Planning

26:56 Rapid Growth and Market Penetration

28:15 ROI in Workforce Planning Solutions

30:46 What Makes a Good Workforce Planning Software?

32:53 The Role of AI in Workforce Planning

34:39 Educating the Market on Workforce Planning

52:57 Insights from the 2025 Workforce Planning Report

57:08 Investment Trends in Workforce Planning

58:19 The Ongoing Reliance on Excel

1:02:04 Pricing Model for Bridget

1:04:53 Building a Strong Company Culture

1:07:44 Managing Contractors and Subcontractors

1:08:52 Closing Remarks and Future Engagements

"If you can't get to $5M in recurring revenue in 18 months, you're probably not venture fundable right now."

KP Reddy just called out the entire construction tech ecosystem—and he's not holding back.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had KP Reddy and we got to learn about why most construction tech startups are chasing the wrong business model, how AI is fundamentally changing the value of human work, and why he's now buying contractors instead of selling them software... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why construction attracts risk-averse founders (and why that's killing innovation)

✅ The real reason CEOs want everyone back in the office (hint: it's about ego, not productivity)

✅ How token-based pricing will replace hourly billing in the next 5 years

✅ Why KP is teaching CEOs to vibe code—and firing consultants who say "it can't be done"

This conversation will change how you think about building, investing, and working in construction tech.

Watch now on YouTube. Link in the comments!

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Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:00 Introduction and Competitive Spirit

06:05 The Shift in Venture Capital Dynamics

08:42 Capital Light vs. Capital Heavy Startups

11:45 Vibe Coding: The New Era of Prototyping

14:45 The Role of AI in Construction and Tech

17:44 The Future of CRM and Personalization in Business

20:42 The Impact of AI on Job Identity and Purpose

23:29 Navigating the Future of Work in AEC

26:17 The Evolution of Business Models in Construction

29:06 Conclusion: Embracing Change and Purpose

35:56 Finding Fulfillment in Venture Capital

39:38 The Role of AI in Pricing Models

45:33 Ego and Status in Business Decisions

49:33 Brackish Waters: The Intersection of VC and PE

57:49 Transformative Tech and Market Dynamics

62:39 The Nonsense of Change Management