"I checked the cash balance and the number came out negative. I had to call my wife and say we might need to liquidate our entire 401k to make payroll."

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Thiago Da Costa from DataGrid and Clifton Harness from TestFit and we got to learn about the raw truth of building construction tech startups - from pivoting at $1M ARR to nearly missing payroll.

These founders didn't hold back. They shared the moments that almost broke them and the decisions that saved their companies.

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why Thiago pivoted his entire company after raising a Series A (and how he told his board)

✅ The morning Clifton woke up and realized he couldn't make payroll

✅ Why most construction tech companies plateau at $3-5M ARR and never break through

✅ How to know when you've actually found product-market fit versus when you're chasing a ghost

Watch now to hear the full conversation about what it really takes to build in construction tech.

Our Sponsor

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

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 Introduction to Startup Journeys

05:47 Navigating the Pre-Seed Stage

12:47 The Importance of Pre-Sales and Pivoting

17:39 Understanding Product Market Fit

23:22 Defining Product Market Fit in Construction Tech

31:14 Facing Startup Challenges and Scary Moments

33:25 Navigating Financial Challenges

37:07 The Importance of Family in Business

39:00 Facing Fear of Failure and Pivots

40:32 Balancing Hype and Substance in Business

48:47 Endurance in Entrepreneurship

54:53 Optimizing for People in Startups

"It's compounding and becoming more of a crisis."

That's how Susan Brattberg described the digital skills gap facing our industry right now.

And honestly? She's not wrong.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we sat down with Susan Brattberg, co-founder and Chief Customer Officer at Global eTraining, and what started as a conversation about an epic rooftop party at Autodesk University (300 people, live band, line dancing - yeah, these guys know how to do marketing) turned into a deep dive on something way more important.

We talked about why training isn't just a nice-to-have anymore... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why the digital skills gap is now the #1 priority for CIOs across ALL industries globally

✅ How technology is changing faster than ever - and why the old "train every couple years" approach is dead

✅ The real ROI companies are seeing when their teams actually know how to use their tools (hint: projects run way smoother)

✅ How AI is flipping the edu-tech space upside down - and why most companies have already dropped out of this niche

Susan's been doing this for 17 years (her company's campus history goes back even longer), and she's seen the evolution firsthand. From physical campuses to on-demand training to AI-powered rapid content development.

If you're wondering why your projects feel chaotic or why new software rollouts never stick... this episode might have some answers.

Watch the full episode out on Spotify and Youtube.

Our Sponsors:

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

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

03:55 Introduction to the Journey

06:57 The Impact of Digital Skills Gap

09:50 Transitioning to Online Training

13:01 The Evolution of Training Methods

15:49 The Shift from Physical to Digital

18:50 Understanding Training Needs

21:44 Overcoming Initial Challenges

24:46 Current Trends in Training

27:45 The Role of AI in Training

30:45 Growth and Future Directions

35:00 Shifts in Business Post-COVID

37:45 Managing Growth and Team Dynamics

41:52 Sales Strategies and Customer Engagement

44:45 The Power of Branding and Events

52:32 Balancing Family and Business

54:22 The Competitive Landscape of E-Learning

56:31 Future Trends in E-Learning and AI

"Integration with Procore? Everyone warned us they'd copy our product. We did it anyway - and it became our best go-to-market decision."

In today's episode of Bricks and Bytes, we had Or Lakritz, founder of StructShare (now Trimble Materials), and we got to learn about how a 21-person startup navigated acquisition conversations with multiple players, the critical importance of transparency during M&A, why integrating with Procore in 2021 was one of their best decisions... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why Trimble chose to buy instead of build - and how StructShare filled a strategic procurement gap

✅ The real differences between being acquired by a platform giant vs. private equity (spoiler: it's all about narrative)

✅ How Or managed team culture and morale through the acquisition process with full transparency

✅ Why distribution matters more than product in construction tech - and what AI might change about that

This one's packed with honest insights from someone who actually lived through it. Worth the listen.

Our Sponsor:

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

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

0:00 Intro

4:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests

4:59 The Acquisition Story of Structure

9:17 Navigating the Acquisition Process

16:18 Cultural Integration Post-Acquisition

18:15 Lessons Learned from Building Structure

31:46 The Evolution of the Procurement Space

33:04 The Evolution of Construction Tech

35:58 AI's Impact on Procurement Processes

39:20 Building the Future of Procurement

42:24 Navigating Go-to-Market Strategies

44:36 Acquisition Insights and Market Dynamics

57:35 Integrating with Industry Giants

1:01:02 Personal Growth and Impact in Business