KP Unpacked

In this episode of KP Unpacked , the number one podcast in AEC , Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro unpack the rising wave of custom GPTs —and why every forward-thinking AEC firm should be building one. From knowledge centers to proposal bots, this episode dives into how AI tools like Azure Foundry and ChatGPT Projects are reshaping how firms capture experience, accelerate onboarding, and win more work....

In this special episode of KP Unpacked , the number podcast in AEC , Jeff Echols sits down with Hope Alexander , senior advisor at KP Reddy Co., to spotlight the one voice often missing in AEC innovation: the owner.  From her days helping grow a startup into a 2,000-person firm (later acquired by AECOM) to building BIM with Frank Gehry, Hope’s career has centered around understanding what owners a...

In this episode of KP Unpacked —the number one podcast in AEC — Jeff Echols and KP Reddy go deep on awards, ethics, and why it’s time to rethink how innovation gets recognized in the built environment. KP unpacks the launch of the 2025 AEC Innovators Award in collaboration with Zweig Group, and doesn’t hold back on the industry's pay-to-play culture. From shady award models to what makes inno...

AI isn’t just about flashy tools—it’s about transforming how AEC firms research, analyze, and make decisions. In this episode of KP Unpacked - the number one Podcast in AEC , Jeff Echols and Frank Lazzaro dive deep into the power of AI research tools and how you can use them to work smarter, not harder. Key takeaways from this episode: Why AI research tools are changing the game for AEC firms Fran...

Are Gen Z professionals really unambitious, entitled, and disconnected—or just playing by a different set of rules? In this bold episode of KP Unpacked , KP Reddy and Jeff Echols break down the generational clash transforming AEC firms, sparked by this LinkedIn post from KP. They cover: Why “pay your dues” thinking no longer works How Gen Z’s ambition is faster and bigger What real relationships l...

What if your “too early” is actually right on time ? In this episode of KP Unpacked - the number one podcast in AEC, Jeff Echols sits down with structural engineer turned AI innovator Kevin Jeswani   to unpack one of KP Reddy’s boldest articles: Your Career Deserves a Firestarter Moment .   Kevin’s story is the ultimate proof that you don’t need a senior title to start driving change in the AEC in...

AI is building faster than the law can keep up. In this episode of KP Unpacked — the number one podcast in AEC — Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro dive into a messy question every firm needs to answer: Who owns the work when AI creates it? From copyright law updates to court cases nobody’s talking about yet, they break down where the real risks are for architects, contractors, owners, and innovators. Y...

In this episode of KP Unpacked ,  the number one podcast in AEC , KP Reddy and Jeff Echols go full throttle on the one thing most AEC startups get completely wrong: ignoring the owner . You’re selling to GCs. You’re marketing to architects. But if the owner doesn’t see the value, you’re just noise in the vendor stack. KP unpacks the real reason BIM didn’t deliver, why most conferences are a year b...

 In this episode of KP Unpacked (AI in AEC edition) , Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro —KP Reddy Co.'s in-house AI expert—tackle one of the biggest blind spots in AI adoption: training your team.  Everyone’s talking about AI. Few are doing anything useful with it. From underused tools to forgotten policies, they break down why most firms are missing the mark—and how to fix it.  As always, the num...

🎙️ In this episode of KP Unpacked , we’re calling out the innovation fluff—and the leaders who can’t pitch their way out of a checklist . Host Jeff Echols sits down with KP Reddy to unpack one of his most pointed LinkedIn posts yet: “Does your AEC innovation group have a pitch deck?” Spoiler alert—if it’s just two slides with drones and BIM screenshots... you’re doing it wrong. They dive into the...

In this episode of AI Unpacked , Jeff Echols is joined by Frank Lazaro , KP Reddy Co.'s in-house AI expert, to dive into the latest trends and innovations in AI for the AEC industry. Together, they break down how AI is transforming business operations, from improving efficiencies to boosting productivity. In this bite-sized, actionable episode, Jeff and Frank explore the various AI tools resh...

Proposal writing is the backbone of AEC firms—but it's also a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. In this episode of AI in AEC , Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro break down how AI-powered tools are transforming the way firms create proposals, saving time, improving efficiency, and boosting win rates. From ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to industry-specific tools like Joist AI, WorkOrb,...

The AEC industry isn’t just stuck—it’s dying . In this episode of KP Unpacked , KP Reddy and Jeff Echols pull no punches in discussing why the industry's obsession with mediocrity and outdated methods is dragging us down. From stagnating leadership to a lack of true innovation, this conversation exposes the uncomfortable truths that no one wants to face. How can AEC finally break free from it...

The future of AEC isn’t just about adapting to AI—it’s about dominating the industry with AI-driven innovation. In this episode of KP Unpacked , KP Reddy and Jeff Echols dive into the heart of AEC transformation, unpacking how AI is fundamentally reshaping the way we design, build, and manage projects, and why old-school methods are quickly becoming obsolete. How are industry leaders leveraging AI...

In this episode of KP Unpacked , host Jeff Echols sits down with Robert Cooper (CEO of Imbue) and Abhi Sastri (CEO of Fluix) to break down one of the most pressing challenges facing the built environment: How do we meet the surging energy demands of data centers, buildings, and critical infrastructure before nuclear and hydrogen power are viable? Based on KP Reddy’s Sunday Scaries post, they explo...

Meetings are a necessary part of AEC firms, but they often lead to wasted time, forgotten action items, and inefficient follow-ups. This week on AI in AEC , Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro unpack AI-powered note-taking tools that can transform how firms capture, summarize, and act on meeting insights. From built-in AI companions in Zoom and Teams to third-party tools like Otter.ai, Fireflies, and Fat...

The future of AEC isn't just about AI disrupting the status quo—it's about AI accelerating innovation and transforming the way we approach design, construction, and operations. In this episode of KP Unpacked , KP Reddy and Jeff Echols dive deep into the disruption happening in the AEC industry, focusing on how AI is changing the game and why staying stuck in traditional ways isn’t an opt...

In this episode of KP Unpacked , we challenge one of the biggest misconceptions in AEC startups: the idea that working harder equals faster results. Spoiler alert—it doesn’t. Host Jeff Echols sits down with Nick Heim , a structural engineer turned senior innovation engineer, to dissect a key passage from KP Reddy’s book What You Know About Startups Is Wrong . They break down why most entrepreneurs...

The future of AEC isn't just about AI replacing jobs—it's about AI enhancing the way we design, build, and operate. In this new series on KP Unpacked , Jeff Echols and Frank Lazaro break down the real impact of AI in the built environment—beyond just ChatGPT. How are industry leaders actually using AI? What tools are solving real-world problems? And how can firms cut through the noise to...

In this episode of KP Unpacked , we dive into one of the biggest mindset shifts that can define your career: Are you high agency? Host Jeff Echols sits down with Abby Coleman , a rising force in AEC and an Innovation XR Specialist at IMEG, to unpack KP Reddy’s latest Sunday Scaries article: Are You High Agency? What About Your Team? They explore why some professionals take ownership, push boundari...

In this episode of KP Unpacked , KP Reddy takes on one of his most explosive LinkedIn posts : Why do so few general contractors self-perform anything? And if their answer is "risk"—what does that really mean? The AEC industry loves tradition, but KP isn't buying the excuses. He and Jeff dive into: 🔹 The myth of risk management—are GCs actually mitigating risk or just passing the bu...

In this episode of KP Unpacked , we dive into a major shift happening in engineering and construction: the rise of tech-enabled services and AI-driven tools . Host Jeff Echols is joined by Iman Warsame , a civil engineer turned software developer, to break down one of KP Reddy’s latest LinkedIn posts on the changing landscape of AEC startups. They discuss: 🔹 Why engineers are ditching traditional...

In this episode of KP Unpacked , KP Reddy breaks down one of his most talked-about LinkedIn posts : the massive, untapped business opportunity in construction technology system integration . The construction industry is fragmented, innovation deployment is inconsistent, and startups struggle with scalability—so why hasn’t anyone built a company to solve this? KP and Jeff discuss: 🔹 The missing li...

What does it take to stay calm under pressure, take risks, and excel at the highest level? In this episode of KP Unpacked , Jeff sits down with Hollywood stuntman Theo Kypri —a man who has literally put his life on the line for some of the biggest names in film. With over 30 years in the industry, Theo has been Johnny Depp’s stunt double in Pirates of the Caribbean , performed high-risk sequences...