Construction Brothers Construction Brothers

00:00 - Introduction
We start out today with some small talk–or maybe short talk–about online meetings. We share our complicated experiences with meeting people in person after establishing relationships online or over the phone. We also share some speculations about how avatars may affect this in the future.

Then, of course, we express our affection for Bluey because… well, because he’s Bluey. Then things briefly take a dark turn as Tyler shares some of his own dog blues.

06:22 - Welcome, Ken 
Ken is Director of AEC Alliances and Solutions at Dell. In this role, he leads strategy related to the construction industry, geospatial industry, and some parts of the manufacturing industry.

Ken’s background is more in software than in hardware. He brings the voice of the industry into the engineering groups to help them understand how Dell’s towers, laptops, and rugged hardware are used by people in industry.

Ken shares about his work with drafting–from 2D AutoCAD to floor designs. He walks us through the path he followed into Revit design work and training and eventually consultant work. He worked as a BIM solution owner for Kone, a Finnish elevator company.

Eddie asks about Kone elevators, and Ken geeks out in a way that reveals his detailer/designer roots.  

13:28 - Tyler Goofs Up 
Tyler raises the painful story about one of his recent interactions with Ken. It had to do with a rugged laptop that Ken graciously shared for a video shoot. Tyler decided to get kind of Tyler-ish with it and… Let’s just say Tyler pushed it too far. The laptop handled an amazing array of challenges. Then Tyler saw the 40,000-pound boom lift.

Tyler talks through the numerous other tests he conducted with the rugged laptop. Ken glosses over his request for a replacement laptop.

18:51 - A Broad Update 
We ask Ken to bring us up-to-date on what’s going on in computer technology within the construction industry. He talks about the numerous demands on computers operating in the current landscape. He touches on the annual updates to internal hardware components. With a growing number of demanding software packages, these updates make noticeable differences.

We spend some time talking about AI integration and its effects on computer performance. This leads to a discussion about the NPU (neural processing unit) on Intel’s 14th-gen processors. Ken explains how this low-latency unit can help to conduct behind-the-scenes performance enhancements.

Tyler asks about reality capture and the use of AI with registration, stitching, and object classification. We get into some point-cloud talk and photogrammetry. Ken addresses the interplay among ISVs (independent software vendors) and computer companies. He also fesses up to using advanced features to make his house look clean during online meetings.

25:50 - Helping the Lost 
Eddie raises the concern that many people feel overwhelmed or lost when choosing hardware that can meet the demands of their software. He also asks about battery life. Ken shares some scenarios related to battery consumption as well as the heat mitigation that affects computer performance.

We discuss the need for computer down-time–proactive or reactive–that was needed while using early versions of Revit and other demanding software. Ken shares some early-career stories about workloads growing because his boss saw the cool things that he could do in design software.

32:42 - Processor Talk: Core vs. Xeon
Tyler asks Ken to explain the difference between Core processors and Xeon processors. Ken explains that a Xeon processor is like a bus or a train that can get you and all of your friends to your destination reliably...

This is repost details one of Eddie's best pieces of advice to date.

Eddie’s stealing this week’s insight from Micah Piippo (See episode 180).

That insight? Think ahead–way ahead. Plan long.

Dad said it too. Don’t just think about this week, this month, or this year. Plan out 20 years. Where do you want to be?

Tyler mentions how quickly you see time pass when you’re a parent. That’s part of the point, but not all of it.

Eddie points out how few people there are who can stick with a plan of action in order to achieve five-year goals. Tyler said he feels like he’s a bit too obsessed with the long term.

Stick with it. Think about the long game. Don’t just imagine the future; do what you can to plan for it.

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This episode originally aired in 2023 and contains advice that has become increasingly relevant. 

00:56 - Introduction
Brent Wadas is an Army veteran who has also worked in finance and SaaS. In 2020, he and his two co-founders dove into construction automation with BotBuilt. He joins us today to talk about automated framing.

04:38 - BotBuilt Overview
Brent explains why he sometimes feels like a five-year-old. He and his co-founders found that most automated systems required almost complete uniformity. He explains The Panel Book that contains detailed breakdowns of components, designs, and costs.

He talks us through how they use industrial robot arms from eBay to building out wall-panel systems. (Watch a video of the process.)

The marked, labeled panels then simply need to be properly placed and nailed together.

The contractors working with BotBuilt can complete the framing for a single-family residence in 2.5-5 hours using the panels assembled in their facility.

Brent compares BotBuilt’s process to that of other automated-construction companies.

08:48 - Ikea-style Assembly
Eddie asks how BotBuilt lays out instructions for contractors to assemble their plans. Brent explains that the incredibly detailed plans they did for their first run-through ended up in the mud because the builder just wanted the simplest one-page overview plan.

Tyler asks for some more details about the computer programming. Brent talks about the math involved and the challenge of regional code variations.

Brent emphasizes that they can work up a schedule with just a PDF version of the plans. He talks about high school intern Joseph, whose fast work pace caught Brent off-guard.

18:26 - Growth, the Future, and Recruiting
Brent talks about how far things have come in the last couple years and how quickly things are going to change over the next five years. He talks about his company’s work with Y Combinator.

Eddie asks about the challenges of funding such an ambitious business. Brent talks through the way he and his co-founders process those decisions. This conversation includes some insights gained from buying and renovating fixer-uppers.

We find ourselves talking yet again about the challenges of getting the younger generations interested in pursuing construction jobs. Brent ties in some thoughts from his time in the military.

35:10 - What to Consider Before Automating
Tyler asks Brent to outline the things that owners, contractors–anyone–should consider before automating. Here are Brent’s thoughts:
-Reproducibility is the first thing to consider. If you’re looking at a process that repeats the same specs time after time, you might want to consider automation.
-Ask yourself, “Is there a problem here?” Don’t automate just because you see other people automating.
-Consider the personnel demands. Don’t set yourself up to pay the same people for the same number of hours just to solve a problem in a more complicated, new way.

45:00 - Safety and Legacy
We talk about work site safety, and Brent says that you’re 10x more likely to die framing a house than on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He said that 35 service members died every year at the height of the war. 350 people die every year framing houses according to OSHA. He shares how BotBuilt’s consistency, standards, and simplicity can make a dent in these numbers.

Tyler and Eddie discuss their experiences with safety practices (or the lack thereof) on their early-career worksites. Rarely if ever was there anyone designated to keep an eye on safety. We discuss how messed up...

This is repost of one of our old favorites.

If you want to stand out in business, don’t be a whiner. 

It’s a natural human tendency, for sure. That’s why avoiding it will help you stand out from the crowd.

Whining wastes time and strains relationships. The more you can suck it up and do the work when circumstances are tough, the better things will go for you and those around you.

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Today we're revisiting a conversation we had with Fouad Khalil in October of 2023. 

Fouad is the founder of and Principal at Modly, a modular construction consultancy that provides the building and real estate sector with market research, feasibility analysis and advisory services. Today he’s here to share some leadership insights.

We jump right into the conversation today with some talk about liability. Tyler asks Fouad to repeat what he had explained in an earlier conversation.Fouad says that your insurance carrier will tell you…
-Don’t say, “It will be done this way.”
-Don’t get on the job site and direct other teams’ workers on how to do their job.

When you do these things, you’re taking on liability.

Eddie points out that general contractors get trained to shed liability. This leads to gray areas within the hand-off territory where information degradation occurs.

Tyler mentions that some schools are unable to implement shop programs because of insurance costs.

5:03 - Sweden and Building Robust Teams
Fouad shares about his experience working on a project in Sweden. He recounts a conversation about potential leaks on structural wood components on the building. The answer about potential leaks was, “We’ll work on the solution together.”

Fouad shares about the critical path and lead times. He talks about schedule compression and how every single step in the process can become critical. A shortage of screws can result in a whole project coming to a standstill.

He mentions the insights he gained from the book Managing the Unexpected. This book focuses on high-reliability organizations like air-traffic control, NASA, etc.

In manufacturing, you can burn through your cash in no time. Efficiency is everything. Fouad wanted to apply this knowledge in his clients’ projects.

Fouad talks about the need for humility and honesty in regard to the planning fallacy. We underestimate.

20:36 - Key Lessons from the book

We asked Fouad here today to discuss some of the lessons he learned from a book he mentioned to us recently. The book is Managing the Unexpected by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe.

Here are the five traits that the authors saw in high-reliability organizations:
Operational sensitivityPreoccupation with failureReluctance to simplifyCommitment to resilienceDeference to expertiseWe expand upon each of these briefly. Fouad quotes Churchill: “Plans are useless, but planning is essential.”

Eddie discusses the confusion he felt when his college coach told him to work at 90%. His point was to be deliberate and have a reserve. Maintain a buffer.

Fouad explains that these principles apply to managing crews of any size. If you don’t manage thoughtfully in these respects, your best people are going to burn out. He gives examples about how to institute quiet times throughout the day when there will be no meetings.

Eddie talks about creative use of red Solo cups in the office.

33:20 - Debriefing to Avoid Repetition of the Same FailuresTyler asks Fouad to explain how effective review of failures can ensure improved performance going forward....

Despite Tyler’s apathy toward football, today Eddie is encouraging us with a football analogy: stay in the pocket.

He explains that the quarterback who trusts his offensive line can examine his options while standing confidently within the pocket.

When you’re looking to move the ball down the field, you might be tempted to run off to the side or run backward to an area that looks so peacefully empty. This almost always ends badly. Hang in there and keep surveying your options.

Tyler translates this analogy to pickleball. When you’re tempted to slam it from the kitchen, it’s usually better to just keep it going.

Step into the hardship. Stay in that pocket. 

Check out the partners that make our show possible.

Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn

If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!