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EARLY RELEASE
How PlanGrid Transformed an Industry and Sold for $875M

In this fascinating episode, Ralph Gootee, co-founder of PlanGrid (acquired by Autodesk for $875M) and current CEO of TigerEye, reveals the insider strategies that helped his company dominate the construction tech space.

Drawing from his journey from Pixar engineer to construction tech pioneer, Ralph shares candid insights about product development, scaling challenges, and the unique opportunities within the construction industry that today's founders can leverage.

In this episode, you’ll:

• Discover why creating a truly mobile-first solution with superior performance was key to PlanGrid's explosive growth and $875M acquisition

• Learn why "write code, talk to users" remains the essential founder mantra that Ralph credits for maintaining product-market fit

• Understand the pricing evolution challenges and why Ralph would never use per-seat licensing again, preferring project-based models

• Explore how construction's inherent viral growth potential can be harnessed despite the industry's natural project-based churn

• Gain insights on finding and nurturing the right founding team, with Ralph's candid reflections on leading a successful 4-founder company

• See how AI is currently augmenting rather than replacing skilled professionals, making senior engineers dramatically more productive

Chapters

• 00:00 - The $875M Question: Inside PlanGrid's Acquisition Journey

• 02:07 - The Secret Weapon: How PDF Expertise from Pixar Created an Unbeatable Product

• 05:35 - Playing Hardball: How PlanGrid Leveraged Their Market Position with Autodesk

• 08:04 - Sam Altman's Blunt Advice: "Don't F*** It Up" and How to Live By It

• 13:23 - The Unlikely Love Story That Built PlanGrid

• 20:00 - AI in Construction: Where the Real Opportunities Lie Beyond the Hype

• 27:12 - Why Most Startups Fail with Multiple Co-Founders

• 35:38 - The Strategic Mistake That Nearly Crippled PlanGrid's Growth

• 44:15 - Attracting Silicon Valley's Best to an "Unsexy" Industry

• 51:12 - Why Domain Expertise Makes or Breaks Construction Tech

• 59:40 - TigerEye Vision: Reinventing Data Analytics for Today's Tech Leaders

• 01:19:14 - The ROI Equation: How Construction Tech Companies Should Measure Success

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