Episodes

  • AI Research Tools AEC Firms Can't Ignore
    May 12 2025

    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
    • Frank’s personal formula for finding 12 minutes of efficiency daily using AI
    • Real-world examples of how AI tools outperform traditional research methods
    • The top AI tools you should be using: ChatGPT Deep Research, Storm, and Perplexity
    • How to avoid AI's common pitfalls in data analysis and research workflows
    • Actionable tips to start using AI research tools in your business today

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 9th Annual AEC Summit

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

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    36 mins
  • Gen Z vs. The Old Playbook
    May 5 2025

    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 look like in a remote-first world
    • Why merit > networking for this generation
    • How inauthenticity kills trust instantly

    This isn’t just a culture chat—it’s a blueprint for modern leadership.

    🧠 Insights from KP & Jeff

    • Boomers and Gen X often confuse different values with lack of ambition.
    • Gen Z sees through performative workplace behavior and calls out inefficiency.
    • Innovation doesn’t come from doing things “the way we’ve always done them.”
    • Leadership must adapt to more frequent check-ins and faster execution cycles.
    • Legacy systems and tenure-based promotions feel rigged to younger professionals.

    This is the number one podcast in AEC.
    Let’s unpack.

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 9th Annual AEC Summit

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

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    59 mins
  • Too Early to Lead? Think Again.
    Apr 30 2025

    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 industry.

    From automating his own workflows to launching data-driven initiatives at startups, Kevin shares how he broke out of the traditional career path, embraced AI before it was trendy, and built a role that didn’t exist on any job board.

    🚀 Key takeaways:

    • Why "waiting your turn" is a career killer in the age of AI
    • How engineers can transition into innovation roles without starting over
    • The real mindset shift behind disrupting yourself before you're disrupted
    • What early-career professionals really need to hear about leadership

    This episode is a wake-up call for anyone stuck in the loop of outdated career advice. Whether you’re five months or fifteen years into your career—it’s time to spark your own fire.

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 9th Annual AEC Summit

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

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    40 mins
  • Built by AI, Owned by You? Maybe.
    Apr 28 2025

    AI is building faster than the law can keep up. In this episode of KP Unpacked — the number one podcast in AECJeff 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. You'll learn why "lazy AI" is a legal nightmare, where the real landmines are for your firm, and why your next big project needs strong AI policies before the first line is drawn.

    Key takeaways:

    • Why the U.S. Copyright Office says human authorship is still king
    • How firms can protect themselves when using AI-generated content
    • Where AEC companies are most vulnerable — and why graphics pose bigger risks than text
    • Why starting with your own work matters more than ever
    • How upcoming lawsuits could change the rules again — fast

    Whether you’re drafting, rendering, or pitching, understanding AI ownership could save your firm a lot more than pride.

    📍 Two Gen X guys talking AI, risk, and the future of your work — tune in and protect what you build.

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 9th Annual AEC Summit

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

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    32 mins
  • If the Owner Doesn’t Care, You’re Dead.
    Apr 23 2025

    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 behind, and how smart startups are turning owners into their secret sales weapon.

    🔹 Why your value prop must include the owner — or you’re toast
    🔹 The Intel Inside playbook (and what startups can steal from it)
    🔹 Why most AEC tech still hasn’t delivered on its promise
    🔹 How to turn a project requirement into a marketing weapon
    🔹 Conferences, echo chambers, and the lost art of original thinking
    🔹 The LinkedIn "like" trap and career-limiting behavior

    👀 Plus: A callout to every AEC founder — are you building something that adds value… or just more noise?

    💡 This episode might sting a little — especially if your startup is stuck in sales limbo.

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 9th Annual AEC Summit

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

    Show more Show less
    47 mins
  • No One Trains AI and That's a Problem
    Apr 21 2025

    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 number one podcast in AEC brings you practical, no-fluff insights designed to help you move fast and build smarter.

    🔹 Why tossing your team into ChatGPT is not a strategy
    🔹 The “12-minute rule” that unlocks 10,000+ hours of productivity
    🔹 What your AI policy is probably missing (hint: actual training)
    🔹 Train-the-trainer vs. send-everyone: Which model works best?
    🔹 The playbook strategy every AEC firm should adopt
    🔹 How lunch & learns can quietly drive AI transformation

    💡 Key takeaway: AI adoption without training is like CAD without a mouse. Build the system. Create the culture. Track the ROI.

    🎧 Plus: How to handle prompt hoarding, office power outages, and becoming your firm’s AI guru (cape optional).

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 9th Annual AEC Summit

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

    Show more Show less
    37 mins
  • Move Fast. Pitch Hard. Break the Mold.
    Apr 14 2025

    🎙️ 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 real talk around:

    🔹 Why most innovation teams don’t deserve a seat at the table
    🔹 How storytelling separates lazy thinkers from actual builders
    🔹 The pitch that breaks the checklist (and lands real deals)
    🔹 Why your innovation brand should look
    nothing like your parent company
    🔹 What happens when your innovation team is more valuable than your core business

    From fake marketing budgets to borrowed GC innovation squads, this one’s got sharp takes and smarter strategies. If you lead innovation—or think you do—this episode will either light your fire or hurt your ego.

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 tinyurl.com/AECSUMMIT

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

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    27 mins
  • AI in AEC: Data Privacy in the AI Era
    Apr 7 2025

    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 reshaping the AEC world, offering insights that you can implement in your firm today. Whether you're new to AI or looking to optimize existing tools, this episode has you covered.

    Key Takeaways:

    • How AI is streamlining business operations across the AEC industry
    • The role of AI in enhancing productivity and cutting down on manual work
    • Frank’s insights on the most effective AI tools for AEC professionals
    • The benefits of embracing AI for both short-term wins and long-term scalability

    Tune in to learn how AI can help you work smarter, not harder in the AEC space.

    🎉 Special Offer for KP Unpacked Listeners: Get 55% off your ticket to the 9th Annual AEC Summit on October 29th at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix! Click the link below and use promo code UNPACKED55 at checkout.

    🔗 tinyurl.com/AECSUMMIT

    Don't miss this opportunity to connect with top minds in AEC and beyond. Tickets are limited—act fast!

    Show more Show less
    26 mins
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