The 80/20 Lie: How Construction Tech Fooled Us All (Even Me)
For years, I’ve repeated one of construction tech’s most accepted truths: “Out-of-the-box platforms get you 80% of what you need.”
Turns out…that 80% rule was a lie regardless of how many vendors continue to sell it or executives continue to quote it.
Truth be told, I even continue to write it. Or at least I did. That is, until a week or so ago, when I got called out on it.
So, naturally, I went digging into the data to see what’s what. What I found will likely surprise you (or maybe not).
What It Really Means to Enable Innovation
Everyone will tell you they want innovation. Yet all too often, we treat it like a product to buy instead of a culture to build. We’ll sit around and talk about it all day, but few will actually live it.
The truth is, innovation isn’t something you install; it’s something you enable.
And truly enabling innovation is about more than money, software or slogans. It takes people willing to think differently, processes designed for adaptability and leadership courageous enough to trust both.
AI Needs a Foundation: Why Consolidation Still Matters in ConTech
It wasn’t all that long ago that we would carry one device for our phone calls, another for our music and a third for our email. Raise your hand if you remember that? What we didn’t realize at the time was that this monumental moment wasn’t just consolidating devices, it was consolidating data too.
As the saying goes, history repeats itself and we’re here once again. Only this time, the revolution knocking at construction’s door isn’t mobility.
It’s artificial intelligence.
And like before, the organizations that thrive will be the ones that consolidate first.
Specialization Makes Champions (Until It Doesn’t)
There’s a reason specialists exist. These folks don’t become elite by accident, but instead by living inside their craft long enough to see nuances that outsiders never will.
But there’s a dark side to specialization too. Because when all you know is one thing, all your solutions start to look the same.
Specialization without adaptability breeds fragility. However, the goal shouldn’t be to abandon specializing altogether, but rather to balance it.
AI Isn’t a Miracle, But It Will Change Construction
A few weeks ago, I threw a rock at all the AI talk in construction. Saying what a lot of folks were thinking, it seemed to hit a nerve.
The fact is, it hit a nerve because it’s true. We’re throwing around the phrase “artificial intelligence” like it’s capable of doing magic while we still can’t get drawings that don’t contradict themselves.
So, let’s slow down, breathe and figure out what AI actually is, and what it isn’t so that we choose our future wisely. At least, before we just throw a chat-bot at a laborer because it sounds smart.
Enough is Enough: Construction Needs Leaders Who Are Real
I’ll never forget that sunny vacation morning, sipping my coffee out on the deck and enjoying the view. Then my phone rang.
“We need you to do this meeting today.”
Day in and day out, we preach “core values”, but when the rubber hit the road, feeling valued is an afterthought. And that’s the nature of construction, isn’t it? This constant gap between what we say and how we actually behave.
The truth is, construction has a culture problem, one we created ourselves. So, how do we fix it?
Take Back Your Crayons: How Construction Can Unlock Their Creativity
For the first several years of my career, I was that guy that was tucked away in a corner crunching numbers. Design calcs, takeoffs, unit pricing and production rates, you name it. I was an engineer, “perfectly suited” for that role. But inside, I was bored out of my mind.
Somewhere along the way we started being rewarded for precision and punished for risk, so we stopped coloring outside the lines.
It’s a lie that has been spreading for a long time now.
28 Rules for Building Smarter in Construction
I’ll never forget the day one of the area managers looked me dead in the eye and said, “This software is stupid.”
Because in some ways he was right. We had digitized chaos, which is a no-no.
It was a rule I learned the hard way. And after years in construction tech amassing thousands of similar conversations with people in the field I’ve collected 28 rules for building smarter in construction.
They’re part scars, part lessons learned and part rallying cry for the industry I love. Feel free to copy and paste.
When Business Change Management Fails… It’s Not the Tech. It’s Us.
When a digital transformation fails (in construction or otherwise), it’s almost never because the technology didn’t work. It’s because we (those tasked with executing) didn’t lead the change well.
Construction doesn’t have a tech adoption problem. It has an alignment problem.
Let’s get specific…
ConTech Doesn’t Replace Workers, It Empowers Them
Let’s get something straight right out of the gate: construction technology is not here to take jobs. Or at least it shouldn’t be. It’s here to empower the people you already have.
But somewhere along the line, tech adoption in construction started getting a bad rap. And many leadership teams (and software vendors) aren’t helping that perception much.
So, how do we set the record straight?
Compete Smarter, Not Harder: Why the Best Don’t Trash Competitors, They Outserve Them
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s this: competition in construction isn’t going anywhere. But here’s where most folks get it wrong: they aim their competitive energy at taking down the other company.
If you want to win in this business, stop obsessing over the competition and start obsessing over your client’s success.
That’s the playbook of a true Contractor of Choice.
The Lie We Keep Telling Ourselves: Why Construction Can’t Afford to Keep Failing the Schedule
Let’s get straight to the point. The fundamental flaw in traditional project management is that it assumes perfect order in a world defined by chaos. The old playbook was built on the idea that if you set a timeline and a budget, and then assign resources with precision, everything will fall into place.
Spoiler alert: it rarely does.
7 Reasons ConTech Implementations Fail (& How to Fix Them)
Let’s be honest: implementing technology in construction feels a lot like trying to run new electrical in a 100-year-old building. You start with high hopes, realize the wiring’s a mess, blow a few fuses and end up questioning all your life choices.
Trust me, I’ve been there.
But here’s the deal, construction needs this. So, here are the top seven reasons why construction tech implementations struggle, in my opinion. And more importantly, how we fix them.
More Than a Holiday: The Meaning of Memorial Day & Why Construction Should Care
Every year, Memorial Day rolls around and social media lights up with poolside photos, barbecue invitations and handful of mentions "honoring our heroes." For many, it’s the unofficial kickoff to summer. But for others—especially veterans and their families—it’s a deeply personal day of remembrance.
And it should be for all of us, but maybe even more so in construction.
Dear Interns: You’re Not Behind–You’re Just Getting Started
Sure, college is great for learning how to think critically, write 20-page papers at 2am and maybe survive on vending machine dinners and almost no sleep. But does it fully prepare you for onboarding into a real job?
Yeah, not really.
But here’s the good news: you’re not behind—you were actually built for this.
Innovation Demands More Than Ideas, It Demands Courage
Let’s be honest, “innovation” is one of those buzzwords that’s lost its shine. As the go-to word for anything new, different or even slightly techy, it’s a label that has been slapped on many safe ideas to make them sound bold.
It’s overused. It’s misused. It’s just noise. So much so that most folks roll their eyes when they hear it from people like me.
But despite all of that, real innovation still matters.
Construction’s Mental Health Crisis Isn’t What You Think
We've all seen it.
The veteran foreman who just doesn't show up on Tuesday. No call. No text. Gone. The superintendent whose work suddenly goes to hell after 15 years of rock-solid performance. The crew lead who starts showing up late, snapping at questions, making rookie mistakes.
Everyone whispers, "What's wrong with them?"
Wrong question.
Systems Win. Complexity Kills
Let’s be honest, construction doesn’t fail because people don’t work hard. It fails when the systems in place stink. A project with smart people, big budgets and all the potential in the world still manages to spiral into delay, confusion and major overruns.
Not because no one cared. But because the systems running the job were clunky, overbuilt, or worse—nonexistent.
Don’t believe me? That’s ok, there’s plenty of real-world proof to back it up.
Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: The Secret Weapon for the Future of Construction
After years in the field dealing with outdated tools and tangled spreadsheets, I was sure I knew what needed to change. It was then I had the opportunity to build a one-size-fits-all platform from the ground up. I had strong opinions that this was the answer, and I wasn’t afraid to share them.
But about a year ago, something shifted.
Knowing Your Costs Is a Condition of Employment
In construction, we like to keep things straight. Steel’s either plumb or it’s not. Concrete passed the test or it didn’t. And when it comes to budget? As I was taught long ago, “Knowing your costs is a condition of employment.” That line has stuck with me for decades because it’s not just advice—it’s a mandate. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your project.
But there’s always a catch.
