Proper Precon Podcast

Episode 8 goes upstream to construction education with UT lecturer Dan Sain. We unpack why the estimator shortage and “freecon” problems start in the talent pipeline, how students perceive estimating vs. the broader preconstruction umbrella, and what it takes to make precon a career people choose . Topics include curriculum vs. industry needs, ABC competition lessons, tech exposure in the classroo...

Episode 7 breaks down hard bid vs. negotiated work beyond the usual hot takes. With Ben (Fite Building), we define what “hard bid” and “negotiated” really look like in practice, where each model works, and the hidden assumptions that cause breakdowns (document quality, risk transfer, bid fatigue, owner sophistication). We discuss how incentives shape behavior, how trade partners experience each pr...

Every budget, every early estimate, every "can you just take a quick look at this?" — it all costs someone something. But in most cases, that cost is invisible. Welcome to FreeCon. In this episode, Troy and Trey sit down with Mike Navarro, CTO and Co-Founder of Ediphi , a 20-year construction veteran who went from lead estimator on complex high-rise projects to building the software he always wish...

In this episode we recap the Super Bowl of events for preconstruction, Advancing Precon 2026.

What happens when the developer is also the GC? Mill Creek Residential's Director of Pre-Con, Justin Valentim joins Troy and Trey to break down what pre-con looks like when you own the estimate, the trade partner relationships, and the investor conversation — all at once. Episode 4 of Proper Precon. Powered by Ediphi

Every project has a number. Not every project has a story behind it. In Episode 3, Troy Simon and Trey Darnell dig into the cost narrative — what it actually is, why most GCs aren't delivering it, and what changes when you get it right. They cover the three layers of a real cost narrative: the number, the context behind it, and the decision points that let an owner actually do something with it. T...

The construction industry has been talking about a labor shortage for 30 years, but the office side of the problem doesn't get nearly enough attention. In Episode 2 of Proper Precon, Troy Simon and Trey Darnell dig into the estimator shortage hitting pre-construction teams right now: why we're just trading talent instead of growing it, what happens when your senior estimators retire and take their...

Preconstruction is one of the most critical phases in construction…and one of the most broken. In Episode 1 of Proper Precon, we break down the real challenges facing estimators and preconstruction teams today: Rebuilding estimates over and over again Losing context between project milestones Relying on spreadsheets that don’t scale Long, drawn-out precon cycles that cost real money. The reality i...