Business & Entrepreneurship

ConTech

ConTech (Construction Technology) refers to the software, hardware, and digital tools transforming how we design, build, and manage construction projects. It's one of the last major industries to be disrupted by technology—and that's exactly why it's so exciting.

Construction is a $10+ trillion global industry, yet productivity has barely improved in decades. Most companies still run on spreadsheets, paper drawings, and phone calls. The opportunity for technology to create real value here is massive.

Key Areas of ConTech

• Estimating & Takeoff — Software to measure plans and calculate costs (my focus area)
• Project Management — Tools like Procore, Buildertrend for tracking jobs
• BIM (Building Information Modeling) — 3D models with embedded data
• Drones & Reality Capture — Surveying, progress monitoring, inspections
• Prefabrication & Modular — Building components off-site for faster assembly
• Robotics & Automation — Bricklaying robots, autonomous equipment
• AI & Machine Learning — Cost prediction, risk analysis, document processing

Why I'm Fascinated

I've spent 8 years at a construction company doing estimating and project management. I see the inefficiencies every day—the hours spent on manual takeoffs, the communication gaps, the data that lives in people's heads instead of systems.

I've already built Construction Takeoff for macOS to solve my own problems. This is just the beginning. The intersection of my construction experience and development skills puts me in a unique position to build tools that actually work for people in the field.

Notable ConTech Companies

• Procore — The dominant project management platform ($10B+ market cap)
• PlanGrid — Blueprint management (acquired by Autodesk for $875M)
• Bluebeam — PDF markup and collaboration for construction
• OpenSpace — 360° reality capture for job sites
• Katerra — Ambitious prefab company (cautionary tale—went bankrupt)

The Opportunity

Construction is ripe for disruption because it's been ignored. The builders and estimators doing the work aren't usually developers—so the tools that exist are often built by outsiders who don't understand the real workflows. That's the gap I want to fill: tools built by someone who's lived in the trenches.