"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