What matters after decades of building, losing, and rebuilding?

In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy turns 55, and Nick uses the milestone for a lightning round conversation exploring career highs, crushing losses, and the philosophy that's shaped three decades of entrepreneurship. From living in a truck eating 19-cent tuna to running a VC fund, KP reflects on the moments that actually stuck and why they weren't the trophy wins.

The conversation moves between tactical and existential. KP explains how Claude Cowork is now his nurse practitioner (drafting insurance appeals, scheduling appointments, analyzing x-rays), why he runs four Mac Studios doing different jobs while he unpacks office furniture, and why the future of CRM is taking people to lunch instead of data entry. But the deeper thread is about identity: why his worst fear (going back to zero) doesn't actually scare him, why his family has more confidence in him than he has in himself, and why the 2008 financial crisis validated the self-doubt that still drives him today.

Key topics covered:

• Why KP spent his 55th birthday at the DMV after his assistant cleared his calendar without asking
• How Claude became his healthcare coordinator and delivered better emotional support than his mom
• The blank slate moment after his first exit paying off the house and feeling peace, not accomplishment
• Living in a truck with sleeves of tuna and stolen mayo packets and why going back doesn't scare him
• The 2008 crisis, personal guarantees, and why losing everything validated his lack of confidence
• Why "celebrating small wins" is for people not building unicorns assume wins, magnify losses
• Vibe working: running four Mac Studios with Claude Cowork while doing manual labor he actually wants to do
• Why relationship-driven CRM beats software: take engineers to lunch after RFP meetings, not Salesforce data entry
• The manager vs. maker schedule and why KP operates at sprint speed with no please-and-thank-yous
• Morning meditation as leadership: visualizing every founder and team member's context before the workday
• Why one founder said "I can feel when you're praying for me" and what that reveals about leading mission-driven teams
• The 10-year goal isn't three private jets, it's building community where all LPs are former founders who exited and came back

If you're navigating what success looks like after the wins, trying to lead without micromanaging while operating at full speed, or wondering whether your worst-case scenario is actually that bad, this episode will reframe how you think about ambition, fear, and what matters most.

Listen now.

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What happens when execution isn't enough to raise capital?

In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy and Nick tackle a critical founder mistake: obsessing over traction while forgetting to sell the vision. Inspired by a portfolio company struggling to fundraise despite excellent execution, they unpack why venture capital demands storytelling (not just proof points) and why construction tech founders in particular fall into the "show me" trap when they should be in "tell me" mode.

The conversation spans SaaS market dynamics (why KP canceled Salesforce mid-contract), the psychology of software loyalty (people love Excel, tolerate Salesforce), and why personalization unlocks joy in enterprise tools. Then they pivot to fundraising fundamentals: Elon Musk could pitch on outcomes alone but chooses to tell the Mars story. Why? Because investors back energy, mission, and vision, not spreadsheets.

Key topics covered:

• Why KP canceled Salesforce after prepaying for the year and what that signals about SaaS churn in 2026
• The difference between software people love (Excel, Milwaukee Tools) vs. software they tolerate (Salesforce, SAP)
• Why usage data won't show up in earnings until 2027 and why the market is pricing in fear, not facts
• Application layer thesis: why natural language interfaces will replace system-of-record UX entirely
• The critical founder error: pitching what you've done instead of where you're going
• Show me vs. tell me: how to know when investors need vision, not validation
• Why Elon Musk still tells the Mars story despite decades of execution proof
• The hustler/hacker co-founder dynamic and why two hackers never raise capital
• Why construction tech founders index too hard on substance and struggle with showmanship
• How to separate customer narratives (narrow, fact-based) from investor narratives (expansive, visionary)
• The modern equivalent of "nice office space": swag stores, media presence, and dinner party bragging rights

If you're a founder who's executing well but struggling to raise, an investor trying to understand why traction isn't translating to term sheets, or an operator wondering why personalization matters more than features, this episode will reset your fundraising strategy.

Listen now.

BuildingWorks & Brookwood Sponsors

What if getting cheaper is actually the goal?

In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy and Nick unpack why AI-driven deflation isn't something to fear, it's the entire point of innovation. From Davos narratives to Elon's predictions to the Grok CEO's commentary, deflation is becoming the dominant framework for understanding AI's economic impact. But construction, housing, healthcare, and education have resisted this trend for decades. Why?

KP walks through live AI experiments: writing 150 job descriptions in 30 minutes, automating recruiting workflows, and why corporate acquisitions like Consigli (AECOM) and Datagrid (Procore) are really about speed-to-market and talent acquisition, not just technology. The breakdown? These deals are cultural change plays disguised as product acquisitions and the real value is in people who are "in it" 24/7, not just using ChatGPT for poems.

Key topics covered:

• Why deflation is a core first principle of innovation and why construction has resisted it
• The real structure behind the Consigli acquisition: talent, change agents, and customer pull-through
• Why Procore bought Datagrid for speed, not capability. Bulletproofing AI takes time
• How MCP servers are hackable and why proof-of-concept to production still requires curing time
• KP's live experiment: 150 job descriptions written and posted in 30 minutes using Claude Cowork
• Why CEOs who subordinate AI strategy should resign, you can't delegate this
• The Canvas Robotics acquisition by JLG and what industrialized robotics mean for wall finishing costs
• Why 30% of every building ends up in the dumpster and how AI + robotics finally solve it
• The talent arbitrage game: why companies can't hire$5M individual contributors but can acquire them
• Safety improvements in construction: 96 deaths at Hoover Dam vs. today's job sites

If you're a founder wondering whether your product roadmap is fast enough, an investor trying to understand why acquisitions are spiking, or an operator who thinks "using ChatGPT" counts as AI adoption, this episode will reset your expectations for 2025.

Listen now.

BuildingWorks & Brookwood Sponsors