#123 Why This Contractor Built Fat-Finger Friendly Construction Software With James Baker Artwork

Crushing It In Construction

Crushing It In Construction is a weekly podcast created to give people in the construction industry a resource where they can learn tips and tactics on how to improve their business, improve their career and keep up to date on everything happening in the world of construction. We cover a wide range of tips from marketing construction, technology, succession planning, recruiting, culture and much much more. Whether you're in heavy civil, mining, engineering, building, landscaping or plumbing our guests share tips and tactics that are actionable and insightful.

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Crushing It In Construction

#123 Why This Contractor Built Fat-Finger Friendly Construction Software With James Baker

December 17, 2025 • Episode 123

Welcome back to the Crushing It In Construction Podcast!

Civil construction has communication and cost-control problems. Everyone knows it. Very few people actually try to fix it.

That’s what led James Baker to build Varicon, a construction management software platform designed specifically for civil contractors.

James didn’t come into tech chasing hype or investor buzz. He came into it frustrated. After years of working as a contractor for principals and administering contracts, he kept seeing the same issues everywhere.

Too much admin. Too much paper. Too many spreadsheets. And way too much friction killing relationships and cash flow.

So, Varicon was born.

In this episode, we talked about James growing up in Tasmania, chasing elite rowing overseas, working in Brazil during the oil and gas boom, and how seeing construction from every angle gave him a clearer view of what was broken.

And somehow, we also ended up talking about home-brewing beer... and how it nearly landed him a trip to Antarctica.

Connect with James Baker:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshsbaker/
Website: https://varicon.com.au/

Connect with Jordan Skinner:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanaskinner/
Website: https://moonshotmedia.com.au/

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