“You could get 60 reviews of a pizza in six seconds, but finding a new contractor takes 12 months and spreadsheets.”
That’s how Riggs Kubiak described the construction industry in 2011 when he started Honest Buildings as a marketplace to connect owners with contractors.
It didn’t work.
The pivot? A project management platform that became so valuable, Procore acquired it.
We sat down with Riggs to talk about what killed the original idea, what saved the company, and why the phase of entrepreneurship nobody prepares for is what comes after the acquisition. His new book “Earned” launches June 2nd.
The real conversation:
✓ Why dominating a small category beats chasing everyone’s problems
✓ The execution hell of building two-sided marketplaces
✓ What nobody tells you about life post-exit
✓ The founder moments that don’t make it into LinkedIn posts
Watch the full episode now on YouTube and Spotify.
#bricksandbytes #constructiontech #entrepreneurship #founders #aec
Our Sponsors:
BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co
Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co
Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:28 Introduction and Journey to Honest Buildings
04:49 The Evolution of Honest Buildings
11:10 Navigating the Pivot: Lessons Learned
13:41 Sales Cycle Challenges in Construction Tech
13:42 Sponsors
16:44 Sales Cycle Challenges in Construction Tech
28:45 Reflections on Key Mistakes and Difficult Times
30:57 Acquisition by Procore: The Journey Ahead
34:02 Closing the Gap in Construction Management
35:38 The Importance of Negotiation in Acquisitions
39:34 Navigating Post-Acquisition Roles
42:00 The Entrepreneurial Residence Experience
46:39 Founders Forum: Building Community
48:45 Understanding Acquisition Motivations
53:20 Reflections on the Integration Process
56:13 The Journey of Entrepreneurship
1:02:33 Life After Acquisition: The Next Chapter
