"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