This is our final episode of the year, and we’re ending it with the kind of conversation AEC needs more of.

In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP sits down with Dr. Barry Clark (CTO) to connect the dots from “physical startups” (robots sewing denim) to what comes next: robots + humans coexisting on jobsites, AI-driven motion control, and a coming wave of materials + manufacturing innovation that could reshape how we design and build.

If you’re a founder, operator, or AEC leader wondering what’s real vs. vaporware, this one will sharpen your lens.

Key topics covered

• From robotics in apparel to robotics in construction: why “physical startups” are back
• Why construction is the hardest automation environment (unstructured, bespoke, constant pivots)
• AI’s impact on robotics: from brittle logic to learning systems that handle “unknown unknowns”
• Digital twins + simulation: getting cheaper, more practical, closer to daily use
• KP’s thesis: a materials renaissance for AEC—and the real bottleneck (commercial scale)
• What “motion control” actually means (path planning + actuator control)
• The missing layer: orchestration across people + robots on live jobsites
• A hard truth: project tools often become archives, not systems that drive behavior

Guest bio
Dr. Barry Clark is KPR’s CTO with a background in mechanical engineering, optimal control, computer vision, and automation, spanning robotics startups and large-scale automated assembly (including server assembly and software-defined manufacturing).

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If you want to understand the future of construction, look at your phone. In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy and Nick explain why the next major shift in AEC will mirror the moment Uber replaced the taxi. Not because of sci-fi tech, but because of something simpler: total transparency.

Today’s owners operate in a black box. Schedules slip, change orders land without context, and updates lag behind reality. KP and Nick argue that the construction company that embraces real-time visibility will dominate the next decade.

From jobsite cameras and drone data to cultural shifts inside design and engineering teams, this episode lays out what it takes to build the first truly transparent construction firm and why owners will reward it.

Highlights

1) The Uber analogy

• Real-time tracking vs radio silence
• Why transparency became a competitive weapon
• How expectations changed overnight once riders saw the truth

2) Transparency on the jobsite

• Daily visibility instead of weekly reporting
• Drone imagery, progress photos, and time-stamped reality
• Owners checking job status as easily as tracking a car

3) Culture as the real blocker

• The fear of showing mistakes in real time
• Old school habits inside design and engineering teams
• Why new firms may adopt transparency faster than incumbents

4) Incentives and stress

• Why most GCs do not actually want surprise change orders
• How hiding small issues snowballs into major delays
• Transparency as the ultimate stress reliever for teams

5) The technology already exists

• Reality capture, project management, AI context layers
• Why this is a full stack shift, not a point solution
• The first GC to commit wins disproportionate market share

If you believe construction is overdue for its Uber moment, this episode shows why transparency wins and how the industry gets there.

Ready to go deeper on modern AEC leadership and operations?

Join the KPR Co Q1 Event for hands-on sessions with founders, operators, and owners.

Founders, if your board meetings feel pointless, this one’s for you. Rethink the people shaping your company’s future.

Private company boards should drive growth, not block it. Yet too often, they become performative, disengaged, or simply wrong for a company’s stage. In this episode of KP Unpacked, KP Reddy and Nick unpack what makes boards work — and why so many founders get them wrong.

They break down the difference between governance and guidance, how private equity’s rigor reshapes accountability, and why boards need to evolve just like product or operations. From “dead board members” to mismatched corporate execs, this episode is a blueprint for building a board that adds real value.

Highlights

1) What Makes a Bad Board

• Unengaged board members: the silent signal of a dying organization
• Corporate mindsets in startup spaces: when governance eclipses problem solving
• Analysts and placeholders: why some seats are signs investors have checked out

2) Building the Right Board

• Functional expertise over resume shine: the power of one domain expert who actually adds value
• Founders as architects of their board: setting expectations, structure, and chemistry
• Evolving governance: how Series A and B boards should look different from pre-seed

3) Dynamics and Chemistry

• Why founder board trust breaks when communication stops between meetings
• The “honeymoon” effect of early boards and how to keep engagement alive
• How to fix board structure without burning relationships

4) The Private Equity Pattern

• Pattern recognition through repetition: why PE backed AEC boards outperform
• Experience as leverage: what seasoned investors see that most founders miss

5) Real Talk on Board Power

• Why many investors lose interest when companies plateau and how founders can counter it
• The hidden tension of “board coups” and replacing founders
• How ego defines leadership longevity from Larry Ellison to Bill Gates

If you’ve ever left a board meeting wondering what the point was, this one’s for you. Learn how to build a board that keeps you accountable and scales with your business.

Join the KPR Co Q1 Event to connect with founders and investors shaping the next generation of AEC growth.

Register for the Owner Training Webinar happening on Nov 20th to go deeper into leadership, governance, and scaling for the real world.