Ep #40 - How to test construction tech without losing your mind (or job)

How do you go from zero to five drone docks – and a company-wide mandate – in under 18 months?In this episode, we sit down with Chase Ertzbergerfrom Lexicon to break down how his team turned top-down buy-in into a field-ready drone program that’s scaling fast. From dodging pilot bottlenecks to proving ROI before the lawyers even show up, this one’s packed with hard-earned lessons in autonomy, adoption, and adaptability.

From jungle drones to high-rise progress shots, Neil of Blue Water Drones shares his wild path into construction tech—and how he's redefining what it means to be a service provider in reality capture. We talk about contractors self-performing drone work, why documentation saves more than just time, and how marketing footage can also win lawsuits.

In this episode, we sit down with Josh Kanner to unpack the real evolution of construction tech – from pre-iPad field tools to AI-driven safety systems. We get into what it takes to build for an industry with slow cycle times, the shift from labeling images to prompting vision models, and why your data is only as useful as your process. If you’re serious about cutting through AI hype and deploying tech that actually works in the field, don’t miss this one.

What happens when doing it all stops working? In Episode 45, we sit down with Julia Guerra from FlyGuys to unpack the pivotal strategy shift that took her from leading solo to building scalable systems that actually work. From hard lessons in trust and control to unlocking growth through partnerships, this episode dives into what it really takes to scale reality capture in construction—and why empathy, education, and alignment are the new tools of the trade.

How does a 76-acre offshore wind project turn daily drone capture into business-critical infrastructure?In this episode, we sit down with Kara Fragola and Louis Saccaro from Skanska to unpack how their team scaled a 7-pilot drone program without adding chaos. Learn how civil and building teams synced ops with top-down visuals, how 60+ staff rely on daily flights, and why DroneDeploy has become a safety and planning essential.

How does a leading contractor scale a VDC team from 3 to 20 – without chasing hype? In this episode, we sit down with Joshua Marriot and Brian Owens from Weitz to unpack how they built a high-impact, field-first VDC program. Learn how they structured for scale, hired for communication over credentials, and turned drone data and 360 video into a competitive edge. If you're leading innovation inside a GC, this is your blueprint.

In this episode, we sit down with Adam Caldwell from Maple Reinders to explore how internal storytelling and site documentation can drive real tech adoption on construction sites. From thermal drone workflows to in-house video production, learn how Adam’s team turned progress updates into a viral internal flywheel – winning buy-in from PMs, supers, and execs. If you’re trying to scale reality capture, improve adoption, or make tech stick, this one’s for you.

Live from the AGC National Convention, this episode of Build Different features Roy Malcom (DPR Construction) and Cheri Hanes (AXA XL) as we unpack why construction tech so often gets ignored – and how to change that. From aligning tools with real jobsite pain points to building buy-in across teams, this convo is packed with practical tips to make your tech actually stick.

Bombarded with demos and LinkedIn DMs? Felipe Serrano from Brasfield & Gorrie breaks down his field-tested process for evaluating construction tech without burning out. From vendor intake forms to cross-team buy-in, we unpack how to vet tools, prove ROI, and avoid tech fatigue—especially if you're flying solo without a dedicated R&D team. Real talk from the jobsite to the boardroom.

Construction tech pioneer Joe Williams joins the show to unpack why smaller, leaner teams are better positioned to reshape the industry. From launching Project Atlas to navigating a Bluebeam acquisition, Joe shares hard-earned lessons on product vision, AI, and why unified data beats a bloated tech stack every time. If you’re rethinking how to build smarter with less overhead – this one’s for you.