Microsoft just bet $10M on construction AI - but industry insiders think it's a massive mistake.

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Patrick, and Dustin dive into the biggest tech moves shaking up construction while welcoming guests from two hot startups that just raised millions.

Key topics discussed:

• Microsoft's massive $10M AI bet with Balfour Beatty - and why some think it's overpriced

• Bluebeam acquires Firmus AI in a surprising exit story

• Autodesk's crushing $1.7B earnings that made investors very happy

• Why Figma's stock crashed despite good earnings

• OneCrew raises $7.5M to modernize paving contractors

• BuildFactory's $3.3M raise for prefab marketplace (plus an epic stealth mode fail)

• OpenAI's ironic $400K job posting for a content strategist

"Those are amazing companies, but both those pieces of software need to be shot behind the tool shed. Like they are so old." - Dustin DeVan on legacy construction software

From billion-dollar acquisitions to startup war stories, this episode reveals what's really happening behind the scenes in construction tech - including how one founder got exposed by a LinkedIn web scraper and why some think Microsoft is charging contractors way too much for basic AI tools.

Our Sponsor:

Archdesk - “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

BuildVision - streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

4M Analytics - Instant, reliable utility data you can trust and verify - https://www.4manalytics.com/

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:26 Introduction and Martin's Travels

03:11 Microsoft's Investment in AI for Construction

15:48 Acquisition of Firmus AI by Bluebeam

23:50 Autodesk's Latest Earnings Report

29:22 Earnings Insights and Market Reactions

32:20 Autodesk's Strategic Shifts and Growth Potential

34:24 Figma's Earnings and Market Positioning

37:11 Figma's AI Initiatives and Future Directions

51:05 OneCrew's Innovative Approach to Paving Software

01:01:00 AI in Construction: The Future of Scheduling and Management

01:04:37 Navigating the Challenges of Selling to Government Agencies

01:05:42 Britton Langdon's Journey: From Stealth to Startup

01:07:40 The Prefabrication Marketplace: Bridging Supply and Demand

01:14:22 Quality Control in Prefabrication: Ensuring Standards

01:20:12 Defining Prefab: Strategies for Cost and Efficiency