A $100,000+ Christmas party, strip clubs as corporate bonding, and a secret betting ring—this is how construction tech really celebrates.
In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, hosts Owen, Martin, and Dustin close out 2024 with Santa hats, sick days, and the unfiltered truth about the AEC industry’s wildest traditions.
In this festive year-end special, you’ll hear about:
- The two-week closed beta of their AEC prediction market experiment and why it’s harder to execute than anyone expected
- Dustin’s legendary Building Connected Christmas party where they blew over $100K knowing they were about to get acquired (casino night, no budget limits, zero regrets)
- Why construction industry Christmas parties always end with at least one fight and HR scrambling the next day
- Equipment Share’s IPO filing and why 2026 could see three major AEC tech companies go public
- The leaderboard drama where Dustin bet big on himself for “best looking host” and actually won
“I don’t know if that time will ever come again because money was treated very differently.” – Dustin DeVan on Silicon Valley’s glory days
The crew signs off until January 8th with holiday cheer, confession-booth honesty, and predictions for an even wilder 2026.
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Chapters
01:06 Holiday Cheer and Predictions
03:52 Exploring Prediction Markets
06:50 Reflections on Christmas Parties
09:45 Media Influence and Public Sentiment
12:37 Personal and Company Growth in 2025
18:01 Looking Ahead to 2026 in Construction Tech
25:16 The Software Selection Dilemma
27:07 The AI Landscape in Construction
28:34 Anticipating Acquisitions in 2026
31:20 The Great Debate: Cloud vs. Desktop Solutions
38:58 Innovative Marketing in Construction Tech
50:36 The Risk of Bold Marketing in AEC
52:50 Building Effective Marketing Teams for Startups
55:05 Navigating Marketing Strategies for Startups
56:34 Insights on Rebranding Strategies
57:52 The Future of Marketing in AEC
01:00:23 Debate Recap: AI in Construction Estimating
01:07:12 Christmas Traditions and Predictions for 2026
