In this episode, David Paul interviews Lisa Diaz, the founder of Turf Advisory, about the construction industry and the need for infrastructure investment. They discuss the challenges of government prioritization, the role of general contractors and subcontractors, and the low margins in the construction industry. They also explore the potential of construction technology to increase margins and address pain points in the industry. Lisa emphasizes the importance of integrating and connecting different systems and the need for standardization in construction. She also shares her excitement about using digital twins for infrastructure assessment and the opportunity for infrastructure repair. You can watch/listen to the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

Takeaways

• The construction industry is in need of infrastructure investment to address deteriorating infrastructure and meet the growing demand for housing and transportation.
• Government prioritization of infrastructure projects is influenced by politics and the most pressing needs, often resulting in a shortage of funding for necessary repairs and upgrades.
• Construction technology has the potential to increase margins in the industry by improving efficiency and addressing pain points such as labor tracking and material delivery.
• The adoption of construction technology faces challenges such as resistance to change and the need for standardization and integration among different systems.

Chapters

01:05 The Need for Infrastructure Investment

03:09 The Importance of Infrastructure to Joe Biden

04:15 Improving Infrastructure in New York City

05:19 Bidding and Contracting in the Construction Industry

06:13 Different Types of Construction and Contractors

07:38 The Role of General Contractors and Subcontractors

08:33 The Transition to Design-Build Contracts

09:20 Low Margins in the Construction Industry

10:17 Increasing Margins with Construction Technology

11:46 The Challenges of Construction Technology Adoption

13:02 Using Technology to Track Labor and Materials

14:53 Addressing Pain Points in Construction

16:15 The Importance of Integration and Connectivity

19:12 Regulatory Changes and Pain Points in Construction

20:40 Using Digital Twins for Infrastructure Assessment

23:16 The Need for Standardization in Construction

27:17 The Opportunity in Infrastructure Repair

29:38 Contacting Lisa Diaz and Turf Advisory