If you want to understand the future of construction, look at your phone. In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy and Nick explain why the next major shift in AEC will mirror the moment Uber replaced the taxi. Not because of sci-fi tech, but because of something simpler: total transparency.

Today’s owners operate in a black box. Schedules slip, change orders land without context, and updates lag behind reality. KP and Nick argue that the construction company that embraces real-time visibility will dominate the next decade.

From jobsite cameras and drone data to cultural shifts inside design and engineering teams, this episode lays out what it takes to build the first truly transparent construction firm and why owners will reward it.

Highlights

1) The Uber analogy

•  Real-time tracking vs radio silence
•  Why transparency became a competitive weapon
•  How expectations changed overnight once riders saw the truth

2) Transparency on the jobsite

• Daily visibility instead of weekly reporting
• Drone imagery, progress photos, and time-stamped reality
• Owners checking job status as easily as tracking a car

3) Culture as the real blocker

•  The fear of showing mistakes in real time
•  Old school habits inside design and engineering teams
•  Why new firms may adopt transparency faster than incumbents

4) Incentives and stress

•  Why most GCs do not actually want surprise change orders
•  How hiding small issues snowballs into major delays
•  Transparency as the ultimate stress reliever for teams

5) The technology already exists

• Reality capture, project management, AI context layers
• Why this is a full stack shift, not a point solution
• The first GC to commit wins disproportionate market share

If you believe construction is overdue for its Uber moment, this episode shows why transparency wins and how the industry gets there.

Ready to go deeper on modern AEC leadership and operations?

Join the KPR Co Q1 Event for hands-on sessions with founders, operators, and owners.

Founders, if your board meetings feel pointless, this one’s for you. Rethink the people shaping your company’s future.

Private company boards should drive growth, not block it. Yet too often, they become performative, disengaged, or simply wrong for a company’s stage. In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy and Nick unpack what makes boards work — and why so many founders get them wrong.

They break down the difference between governance and guidance, how private equity’s rigor reshapes accountability, and why boards need to evolve just like product or operations. From “dead board members” to mismatched corporate execs, this episode is a blueprint for building a board that adds real value.

Highlights

1) What Makes a Bad Board

•  Unengaged board members: the silent signal of a dying organization
•  Corporate mindsets in startup spaces: when governance eclipses problem solving
•  Analysts and placeholders: why some seats are signs investors have checked out

2) Building the Right Board

•  Functional expertise over resume shine: the power of one domain expert who actually adds value
•  Founders as architects of their board: setting expectations, structure, and chemistry
•  Evolving governance: how Series A and B boards should look different from pre-seed

3) Dynamics and Chemistry

•  Why founder board trust breaks when communication stops between meetings
•  The “honeymoon” effect of early boards and how to keep engagement alive
•  How to fix board structure without burning relationships

4) The Private Equity Pattern

•  Pattern recognition through repetition: why PE backed AEC boards outperform
•  Experience as leverage: what seasoned investors see that most founders miss

5) Real Talk on Board Power

•  Why many investors lose interest when companies plateau and how founders can counter it
•  The hidden tension of “board coups” and replacing founders
•  How ego defines leadership longevity from Larry Ellison to Bill Gates

If you’ve ever left a board meeting wondering what the point was, this one’s for you. Learn how to build a board that keeps you accountable and scales with your business.

Join the KPR Co Q1 Event to connect with founders and investors shaping the next generation of AEC growth.

Register for the Owner Training Webinar happening on Nov 20th to go deeper into leadership, governance, and scaling for the real world.

AEC leaders, operators, and innovators, this one matters. Listen now and fix your closeout before it burns value.

The closeout process is where most projects quietly fail. In this episode of KP Unpacked, the #1 podcast in AEC, KP Reddy and Nick pull back the curtain on why handovers break, why owners get stuck with the bill, and how to design for decades instead of deadlines. 

From BIM’s broken promise to the CapEx vs OpEx split, this is a hard reset on how AEC should finish work.

Highlights

1) Documentation and data

• BIM vs reality: digital models did not eliminate banker boxes or fragmented handovers
• Documentation as asset value: warranties, submittals, service records as the true owner’s manual
• Modern handover standard: digitize everything, make it queryable, and keep data portable across owners

2) Incentives and ownership structure

• CapEx vs OpEx: split mindset drives short-term choices that hurt operations
• Incentives and warranties: tie first five years of maintenance to designers and contractors
• Design–Build–Operate: operating accountability changes what gets built

3) Operations and economics

• Maintenance economics: lifecycle costs can exceed build costs and should change design choices
• Manufacturers and feedback loops: lost warranty visibility and how direct data ties prevent waste

4) Process and workflows

• Decentralized workflows: hundreds of contributors, no single system, and why forcing one platform fails at closeout

5) Owner playbook

• Set closeout requirements early, enforce data standards in contracts, and involve operations from day one.

After months of conversations with Owners and Owner Reps, we have launched our Owner Training Series to help you fix what breaks between design, build, and handover. Learn how to manage risk, enforce better closeouts, and align your teams for long-term success.

2nd Webinar is on Nov 20th.

Enroll now and get the replay of first one → https://kpreddy.co/owner-training-series

If meritocracy starts at a web form, do you still need warm intros or just relentless curiosity?

Track3D founder/CEO NK Chaitanya joins KP for a field-level riff on founder-led sales, learning on job sites, and why doing the unscalable early creates durable moats later. We unpack how a cold application turned into a partnership, why “works on day one” beats roadmap theater, and how automating the boring parts brings joy back to building. NK also breaks down Track3D’s $10M Series A, the tech vs distribution dance, and what it really takes to earn a customer’s time.

Highlights

• One front door: meritocracy via a website form (and why it works)
• Founder in steel-toes: two years on sites to earn insight (and trust)
• Tech moat vs distribution moat: when to swing between them
• Design partners > pilots: time commitment beats small checks
• “It has to work now”: MVPs that are job-ready, not demo-ready
• Why this industry hates being sold to and how to sell by serving
• Doing the unscalable early to make scale possible later
• Founder-led sales past $1M (and why the founder stays in the room)
• Automate the drudgery, protect the joy: AI that frees real work
• Immigrant advantage: beginner’s mind as a superpower

Learn more about KPR Co Mastermind Groups here!

Upcoming KPR Co events

• Owners’ Training Series: practical moves for owners and owner’s reps

If you can ship a site plan with one click, do you still need the degree or just better prompts?

Director of Innovation Brandon Blackberg (RTM Engineering) joins KP for a fast, practitioner-level riff on how AI is reshaping civil and structural work. We cover the “McDonald’s vs gourmet” future of delivery, why generalists win in a systems world, and how to avoid getting locked into someone else’s feature stack. We also talk vibe coding, token bills, and what KP would do if he started a firm tomorrow.

Highlights 

• Why entry-level engineers will start closer to “junior-plus” with AI at their fingertips
• Generalist thinking vs narrow specialization when failures are system level
• Rethinking drawings and phases when iteration is cheap
• Time and materials, lump sum, and the real impact of token costs
• Multi-LLM strategies to avoid platform lock-in
• Guardrails that keep creativity alive and production safe
• Build vs buy: when an internal tool beats a vendor, and when it doesn’t
• Career paths that don’t look like ladders: engineering, coding, sales

Learn more about KPR Co Mastermind Groups here!

Upcoming KPR Co events

• Owners’ Training Series Kickoff: practical moves for owners and owner’s reps
• Vibe-a-Thon: vibe coding for non-coders, prizes included
• 9th Annual KPR Summit: the room where AEC’s next moves get decided

KP Unpacked, the #1 number podcast in AEC breaks down how early-stage teams actually win attention and revenue in 2025. 

KP and Nick go deep on founder-led distribution, “signature marketing” vs checklist B2B tactics, and why authenticity beats AI-generated slop. You’ll hear concrete examples from guerrilla stunts at conferences, product-led marketing, event strategy (sponsor vs booth), and running tight experiments you can pivot from fast. 

We also cover brand risk, mission-first messaging, and hyper-legibility: publishing the “exhaust” of your work at a useful cadence. If you build, sell, or invest in AEC or construction tech, this is your field guide to differentiation in the AI era. 

From Shadow’s portfolio lessons to classics like “1,000 True Fans,” this episode gives you practical moves you can ship this week.

The #1 podcast in AEC. KP and Nick. No fluff. Real tactics you can use.

Key topics for search

• AEC marketing, construction technology marketing, B2B growth
• Founder-led go-to-market, distribution, demand gen, ABM
• “AI slop” vs human creativity, signature marketing, guerrilla marketing
• Product-led marketing, brand risk, mission-driven storytelling
• Event strategy: sponsorship vs booths, trade show timelines
• Experiments, attribution limits, small-batch campaigns, “1,000 True Fans”

In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP and Nick break down one of the toughest choices for hardware and robotics founders in AEC:
Should you sell the equipment, offer it as a service, or self-perform the work?

We cover how to size distribution and reduce friction, when CapEx vs OpEx tilts the deal, what risk transfer really costs, and why your choice is not static. We also get into channel pitfalls like exclusivity and rights of first refusal, and share field lessons from companies building real robots for construction.

What you’ll learn

• A simple way to map distribution size vs friction before you pick a model
• When RaaS wins due to OpEx and risk transfer
• When to sell equipment because the interface is mature and buyers have CapEx
• When to go Prime/self-perform for fast payback and control
• How maintenance, spares, and uptime reshape your margins
• Why channel exclusivity and ROFR can box you in
• How to use customer conversations to validate the model early

Examples referenced

• Lumina: electric construction equipment and why self-perform can align incentives
• Okibo: drywall finishing robots and why RaaS speeds product learning

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro and warm-up
• 03:05 Why cheerful, constructive podcasts work
• 04:45 Founders Podcast and dense learning
• 07:06 The big question: sell, service, or prime
• 09:20 Framework start: distribution size vs friction
• 14:35 Leasing, risk transfer, and unfamiliar tech
• 17:20 RaaS realities: maintenance, spares, support
• 22:35 Heuristics for RaaS, sell, and prime
• 25:20 Incentives when you operate your own machines
• 28:36 Okibo case: production scale and feedback loops
• 33:26 CapEx vs OpEx and incentive alignment on projects
• 39:44 Channels, exclusivity math, and distribution maturity
• 40:39 The ROFR trap and how it kills deals
• 42:19 Ask customers early and often
• 47:39 Wrap

 If you’re building in AEC and wrestling with go-to-market, send us your scenario. We’ll pressure-test it on a future episode.

Welcome back to KP Unpacked, the #1 podcast in AEC!

In this episode, KP Reddy sat down with Ahmad Omar, founder of Slate, also our Mastermind member, to discuss the new wave of entrepreneurship sweeping through the AEC industry. Ahmad shares his journey of leaving a large firm to start his own, highlighting how today's technology, including AI, has shattered traditional barriers to entry for new companies.

This conversation delves into why the rigid, slow-moving systems of the past are no longer a fit for today's innovators. Ahmad explains how Slate differentiates itself through speed and personal relationships, challenging the conventional wisdom of large firms. They also explore the future of the industry, from the potential for AI to be a "great equalizer" to the end of archaic practices like timesheets and multi-phased project billing.

Follow KPR Co on LinkedIn to stay updated on our latest insights and groundbreaking projects.

Ready to get hands-on with the future of AEC? Join us for our upcoming events!

• Vibe-a-thon - October 28th
• AEC Summit - October 29th

See you there!

Welcome to KP Unpacked of the #1 podcast in AEC.

In this conversation, KP Reddy and Nick Durham cut through the noise and challenge the stories AEC leaders keep telling themselves. From LinkedIn posts that sparked heated debates to hard truths the industry avoids, this episode doesn’t play safe. It pushes you to rethink how innovation, scarcity, and leadership actually work in the built world.

We revisit KP’s most discussed LinkedIn posts, including:

• Why paradox is a moat.
• The real reason startups fail in AEC.
• What leaders get wrong about exclusivity.
• Wrappers vs. Builders: the value equation no one wants to face.
• Why “safe” advice will kill your vision faster than risk ever will.

💡 Episode Highlights:

• “Innovation in AEC isn’t optional. It’s survival.”
• “Scarcity creates power. Abundance creates noise.”
• “Wrappers aren’t builders. Services aren’t IP.”
• “Safe advice is the fastest way to kill a big idea.”
• “Exclusivity is a moat, but only if you dare to enforce it.”

👉 Explore more at KPR Co and follow us on LinkedIn for upcoming episodes, events, and insights.

The #1 podcast in AEC.

In this episode, KP Reddy and Nick Durham unpack why defensibility today looks less like patents and more like paradoxical thinking, and why the smartest move for AI “wrappers” is to act like a services firm that sells results, not features.

5 Big Ideas

1. Wrappers = Services Business: If you’re building an LLM wrapper, stop pitching IP. Sell industry outcomes, deliver faster/cheaper with your toolset, and price like pros.
2. Moat = Paradoxical Thinking: Your edge isn’t secret code. It’s a founder’s contrarian judgment and speed. Nobody can clone that.
3. Guard Your Info Rights: Corporates as investors? Kill board seats/observers and information rights. Money is cheap; data is priceless.
4. Monopoly Myths in AEC: Software can show power-law effects; services don’t. Fragmented, regulated markets blunt “winner-take-all” dreams.
5. Franchise the Customer: Wild model: sell market exclusivity to be your customer, capture scarcity up front while keeping product margins.

 If this made you rethink your go-to-market, hit follow and send this to the one founder who needs tougher advice.

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/

In this episode of KP Unpacked, the #1 podcast in AEC, KP and guest Frank Lazaro explore how AI is reshaping the job market for recent graduates and what parents should tell their children about future career prospects. They discuss strategies for navigating an economy where traditional entry-level jobs are disappearing and entrepreneurship offers promising alternatives.

• The job market for recent graduates has softened similar to the post-dot-com bubble era
• Three emerging career categories: capital allocators, high experts, and exception handlers
• High agency individuals who can solve problems without guidance will be increasingly valuable
• Today's generation seems more comfortable separating income generation from traditional employment
• Entrepreneurship offers viable paths forward with less capital investment required than in previous eras
• AI tools can democratize business creation, allowing individuals to launch ventures without extensive technical expertise
• Field experience and customer-facing roles may become more important initial career steps
• Modern business opportunities don't require venture capital - many successful ventures start with minimal investment
• The ability to quickly learn and adapt matters more than formal credentials for entrepreneurial success
• Companies are abandoning custom AI projects in favor of using existing tools and platforms

Check out our upcoming Vibe-a-thon in Phoenix this October! For companies interested in private Vibe coding workshops, reach out to Frank directly.

The #1 Podcast in AEC.

This episode marks a first: KP sits down with Nick for their debut recording together on KP Unpacked. Funny enough, you heard their second episode (on the MIT AI Report) before this one because the MIT discussion was too timely to hold back. But here’s where it all started.

Expect raw takes, sarcastic banter, and unfiltered truths about startups, venture capital, and the built world.

Highlights from KP & Nick’s first rodeo:

• “You know nothing” - why KP tells teams to stop looking for answers from the boss and start listening to the market.
• Henry Ford’s “faster horses” quote and why KP calls it a dumb take.
• AI + robotics roll-ups and who’s really the customer when law firms and AE shops adopt agentic tools.
• The death of niche features and why vibe coding and no-code kill most startup theses before they begin.
• The illusion of being venture fundable and how KP decides when he’s out, even on good ideas.
• Why venture theses get stale fast and why copying YC or Sequoia is a losing move.

Resources / Links mentioned in this episode:

• MIT AI Report was wrong 
• KP Reddy on LinkedIn

Welcome to KP Unpacked, the #1 podcast in AEC.
Hosted by @KP Reddy and co-host @Nick Durham. 

What if the way we measure work is completely wrong? In this episode, KP and Nick dive into the MIT “Gen AI Divide” report and uncover how incentives, adoption, and measurement distort the real impact of AI inside enterprises.

Here’s what you’ll hear in this conversation:

• Why most companies report “no AI benefits” even though 95% of employees use AI daily
• The hidden incentives that keep workers from admitting AI is making them faster and better
• The rise of the Shadow AI Economy and what it means for enterprises vs individuals
• Why current ROI metrics miss the mark and why we should measure tokens instead of time
• Token arbitrage explained: how value will shift when human work is priced per token
• The psychology of professional services and why billable hours are nearing extinction
• How AI adoption differs across industries and why AEC faces unique challenges
• Fresh founder lessons on persistence in construction tech and the brutal reality of this industry

AI is not just about saving hours. It is about redefining how value gets measured, priced, and delivered. The question is not if this shift happens, but when.

Welcome to KP Unpacked - the #1 podcast in AEC.

What if buying a home felt like talking to Jarvis instead of chasing a realtor? In this episode, Jeff Echols sits down with Enoc Silva, CEO of Vuen AI, to unpack how AI-powered visual agents are reshaping real estate, construction, and the built world.

🔑 Highlights from this episode:

• How AI visual agents give buyers on-demand 3D property tours that answer every question in real time.
• Why this tech could cut sales cycles from a year to weeks.
• The hidden gem: how AI can capture buyer intent and pass it straight to sales teams.
• The bigger vision - a personal Jarvis-like assistant managing your schedule, tasks, and even your home.
• Cutting through AI hype vs. reality: what’s real, what’s noise, and why human connection still matters.

Whether you’re in real estate, construction, or simply curious about where AI is headed, this conversation shows how close we are to living with personal AI agents.

Most AEC and manufacturing firms are leaving serious money on the table.

Jordan Wilson, Director of Business Development at Corporate Tax Advisors, joins Jeff to unpack a major tax law change that could put hundreds of thousands back into your business. 

From reversing Section 174 amortization to unlocking retroactive R&D credits, this update has big implications for growth, innovation, and M&A. 

Whether you run a billion-dollar firm or a bootstrapped startup, you’ll want to hear how to capture these incentives before the window closes.

Need help modeling the impact or prepping filings?

Reach out to Jordan Wilson at Corporate Tax Advisors or call 404-317-4246 for a strategy discussion on how best to approach and claim the credit going forward.

In this episode of KP Unpacked, the #1 podcast in AEC, Jeff Echols sits down with Chris Parsons, founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, to explore why knowledge management (KM) is no longer just an IT function—it's a strategic currency for AEC firms.

Chris shares his 15-year journey building Synthesis, a knowledge platform purpose-built for AEC, and how today's KM 3.0 (powered by AI) is reshaping how firms capture, share, and scale what they know. From navigating firm growth to managing M&A, this conversation covers what it really takes to design a smarter business.

🧭 Episode Chapters:

02:00 – Why Chris left firm life to build a KM company
07:30 – KM 1.0 → KM 2.0 → KM 3.0 (AI changes everything)
12:00 – The high cost of knowledge stuck in people’s heads
15:00 – What it means to “design your business like a building”
21:30 – AI’s role in making KM searchable and actionable
24:00 – KM as the secret weapon in M&A and scaling innovation
26:45 – Why executive sponsorship makes or breaks KM strategy
31:15 – Process is the product: rethinking “build vs. buy”
41:00 – Designing AI agents that work alongside humans
54:00 – The mindset shift every knowledge leader needs now

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• Synthesis – AEC-specific KM platform by Knowledge Architecture
• KA Connect – Annual KM conference for AEC professionals
• Smarter by Design – Chris’s newsletter on knowledge strategy
• People, Planet, Design by Corey Squire – Sustainability book with a KM chapter
• Eisenhower Matrix – Prioritization tool discussed in the episode

👤 Guest:
Chris Parsons – Founder & CEO, Knowledge Architecture

🎙️ Host:
Jeff Eccles – Executive Director, Catalyst by KP Reddy Co.

This episode of KP Unpacked pulls no punches. KP and Jeff dive into why real innovation in AEC doesn’t come from AI, tech stacks, or strategy decks, it comes from frustration. From timesheet tyranny to capital allocation myths, this is a wake-up call for founders, executives, and anyone stuck in the loop of “this is how we’ve always done it.”

They unpack why most firms are afraid to change their business model, how brand is often confused with logos and websites, and why go-to-market matters more than invention. Plus, KP shares what really happened in the latest Catalyst AMA and what inspired the launch of the Vibe-a-Thon — a no-code innovation sprint built for operators, not just engineers.

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• KP’s Post that inspired the episode: “Creating an intangible enterprise is not easy, but well-documented…”
• 📘 Creating an Intangible Enterprise by KP Reddy
• Catalyst Community — apply to join: https://kpreddy.co
• Vibe-a-Thon at the Innovation Center (July 28) — no code needed, real AEC problems, $5K prize

In this special edition of KP Unpacked, Jeff and KP dive into the heart of KP’s viral Sunday Scaries post: Brackish Waters – The Startup Survival Zone.

KP breaks down why traditional lines between VC and PE are blurring — and what it means for how startups should build, fund, and scale in today’s climate. From hybrid capital models to real-world disruption via AI and robotics, this episode is a must-listen for founders, investors, and corporate leaders alike.

You’ll hear:

• What “brackish waters” really mean for capital strategy
• Why VC volatility and PE predictability are no longer your only options
• How firms like General Catalyst and Thrive Capital are changing the game
• Case studies like Lumina’s new playbook for AI-powered M&A
• Why this might be the most important episode we’ve ever recorded

💡 Bonus: KP reveals how some of the biggest wins in the next decade will come from founders who know how to steer in murky waters.

👇 Resources Mentioned:

• KP’s Sunday Scaries Post
• Catalyst Community - Join the Conversation
• Book by KP Reddy - Creating the Intangible Enterprise

KP Unpacked is the #1 podcast in AEC—and for good reason. In this episode, KP Reddy and Jeff Echols start with baseball and end up somewhere way more urgent: the death of innovation-as-edge. From Moneyball to AI, from power drills to predictive hiring, they unpack what happens after everyone catches up—and what firms should do next to keep their advantage.

KP drops insights on fast feedback loops, tech resistance in AEC, and why real innovation today comes from judgment, not just data. They also explore how AI is rewriting the rules in venture, recruiting, sports betting, and founder evaluation. If your firm is still calling BIM “innovation,” this one’s for you.

“The thing about building an edge is… you rarely get to keep it.”

🔗 Resources & Mentions in This Episode

• 📘 Book: Creating the Intangible Enterprise by KP Reddy — Available on Amazon and Audible
• 📽️ Movie Reference: Moneyball (2011) – starring Brad Pitt, based on the book by Michael Lewis
• 🧠 KP’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kpreddy – follow to predict next week’s podcast topic
• 🎤 AEC Summit Archives: YouTube Channel – features past Summit presentations, including from unicorns like Anduril, OneTrust, and Greenlight
• 🧰 Tools Mentioned:
  • ChatGPT / AI (for resume filtering, betting models, etc.)
  • PipeDrive CRM
  • CrowdStrike, Microsoft Cloud
  • Sam.AI (voice-based CRM mentioned indirectly)

Welcome to KP Unpacked , the #1 podcast in AEC.
In this episode, KP Reddy and Jeff Echols unpack a movement that's flipping tech, venture, and entrepreneurship on its head: vibe coding.

What started as a LinkedIn post sparked one of the most active polls in Catalyst history, and it turns out, 73% of this high-performing AEC community is already doing it.

They dive into:

• Why vibe coding is displacing CRMs (and entire startups)
• How a skeptical sales exec built a GC-specific CRM in 20 hours
• What this shift means for tools, venture capital, and the next era of startups
• Why early adopters will always win, even if it's messy

Plus, KP shares his private equity wine-country story, a bold new startup funding model (no VC required), and how the team might be accidentally launching a hackathon.

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

• KP’s book: Creating the Intangible Enterprise
• Connect with KP on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kpreddy
• Follow KPR Co.: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpreddy

Welcome back to the number one podcast in AEC, KP Unpacked, where AI, innovation, and the built world collide.

In this episode of the AI in AEC series, Jeff Echols (Executive Director, Catalyst) is joined by Frank Lazaro (Head of Advisory, KP Reddy Co.) for a strategic deep dive into how AEC firms can assess and improve their innovation readiness before adopting AI or any new tech.

They break down the DIAL Framework, a free assessment designed to benchmark your firm's innovation posture across six critical pillars:

1. Internal Innovation
2. External Innovation
3. Culture
4. Ecosystem
5. Tech Adoption
6. Blue Sky Thinking

You’ll hear real-world insights from working with dozens of AEC firms, stories of siloed departments unknowingly duplicating efforts, and practical advice for creating sustainable innovation systems across your organization.

Whether you're a disruptor, adopter, or laggard, this episode gives you the tools to find out where you stand, what to fix, and how to move forward.

🔗 Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Take the DIAL Assessment (Free): https://kpreddy.co/dial
• San Francisco Event (July 29): https://kpreddy.co/event-highlight

🔧 Key Takeaways:

• Do not start with tools. Start with understanding your culture and capacity for innovation.
• DIAL helps uncover organizational blind spots before tech investments fail.
• AI success in AEC depends more on alignment and execution than access to tools.
• Internal communication and cross-departmental knowledge sharing are key to progress.
• The most innovative firms often still struggle with consistent adoption, and that is okay.

Subscribe, rate, and share this episode with the leaders shaping what is next in AEC.

In this brutally honest episode of KP Unpacked, the number one podcast in AEC, KP Reddy and Jeff Echols take a sledgehammer to one of the industry's most overused and misunderstood buzzwords: digital twin.

What even is a digital twin? KP unpacks why most people using the term don’t know what it really means, why having a 3D model doesn’t qualify, and how the lack of real-time sensing, integration, and meaningful data makes the concept nearly useless in today’s built world.

From hilarious real-world anecdotes to blunt industry truths, KP explains how chasing digital twin hype makes the whole AEC industry look foolish and what we should be focusing on instead.

You’ll hear about:

• Why BIM ≠ digital twin (and never did)
• The difference between useful models vs. empty tech flexes
• The real ROI (or lack of) in pursuing true digital twins
• Why too many people use tech to avoid getting on job sites
• How AI is learning from the wrong people

Plus: A sneak peek into the launch of Catalyst, KP Reddy Co.’s new community for forward-thinkers in AEC.

This episode is packed with insight, no-BS takes, and the kind of field-first perspective the industry desperately needs. If you’ve ever used or been confused by the term "digital twin," this one’s a must-listen.

Every AEC firm faces it: Do we build our own AI tools or buy what's already on the market?

In this episode of KP Unpacked, the number one Podcast in AEC, Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro dive deep into the strategic dilemma that's dominating boardrooms and innovation teams across the built world.

From skyrocketing subscription costs to the reality of custom bot deployment in under 10 minutes, they unpack the tradeoffs, timing, and total cost of ownership behind the build vs. buy decision.

You’ll hear:

• Why most firms overestimate the need to build
• The real ROI of custom AI tools
• How low-code platforms are changing the game
• The hidden cost of falling in love with building

Six sharp takeaways to guide your AI investment strategy

1. Start with the problem, not the tool.
   No AI investment works unless it maps to a real pain point.
2. Speed > perfection.
   Getting something into the hands of your team beats endless deliberation.
3. Adoption is your signal.
   Give teams low-stakes tools first — and watch what they build around them.
4. Cost strategy matters.
   $20 tools add up. But so does maintaining custom code. Run the real math.
5. Don’t build for your ego.
   The most overengineered tools often become the least used.
6. Don’t wait.
   Action beats analysis. Start with buy, evolve to build. But move.

Whether you’re a 5-person studio or a 5,000-person firm, this conversation will challenge how you think about innovation, adoption, and what it actually takes to future-proof your tech stack.

In this episode of KP Unpacked, the number one podcast in AEC, Jeff Echols sits down with Frank Thalakotur, Senior Research Advisor at KP Reddy Co., to dig into one of the core issues holding the AEC industry back—chronic misalignment between design, delivery, and owner value.

Frank brings experience across HVAC engineering, MEP project management, startup innovation, and owner’s rep work. But in his current role, he’s stepping back from solutions and going deep into problem discovery.

Together, they unpack:

• Why the AEC industry keeps solving symptoms instead of root causes
• How contracts—not outcomes—are driving behavior
• Why owners remain disconnected from the value chain
• What it takes to shift from isolated innovation to system-level alignment
• Why “data is the new concrete”—and what happens when no one’s pouring it

This is real research, real voices, and real stakes. If you’ve ever asked “Why does this keep happening?” in AEC, you’ll want to listen in.

🎧 Powered by KP Reddy Co.
🎙 Hosted by Jeff Echols, Executive Director of Catalyst
🧠 Featuring Frank Thalakotur, Senior Research Advisor, KP Reddy Co.

Welcome back to KP Unpacked, the #1 podcast in AEC.

In this episode, KP Reddy (Founder & CEO of Shadow Ventures) and Jeff Echols (Executive Director at Catalyst) unpack a powerful metaphor that’s reshaping how we think about startups, business models, and the built environment.

We’re not just talking features or fixes. We’re talking about delivering outcomes that actually cure real industry problems. From aligning incentives in AEC to rethinking how firms deliver value, this episode is packed with strategy, story, and sharp insights.

🔍 Featured in this episode:

• KP Reddy, Founder & CEO of Shadow Ventures
• Jeff Echols, Executive Director at Catalyst by KP Reddy Co.

📌 Main Topics Covered:

• Why “being useful” isn’t enough in an AI-driven world
• The real difference between vitamins, painkillers, and cures (and where your product fits)
• What AEC firms get wrong about value and deliverables
• How misaligned compensation models destroy innovation
• What NFL stadium designers can teach us about asymmetric business models
• Why the future of the industry belongs to those who think beyond specs and software