"Real AI is way more about how you do change management than picking the right technology."

That is Dr. Sarah Buchner, founder and CEO of Trunk Tools, on this week's Bricks, Bucks & Bytes.

A year on from her $40M Series B, she joined the roundtable to explain why the hardest part of construction AI is not the model. It is getting people to trust it.

✅ Why Trunk Tools will not sell you agents unless you let them train your team first

✅ The shift from point solution to a "system of action" that sits on top of Procore and Autodesk

✅ Why a new AI takeoff startup seems to launch every week, and why most break on the last 20%

✅ Her blunt line on vibe coded tools: "Don't come on the market with something that Claude can already do."

Plus: a structural engineer breaks down the Midtown column buckling, and SubBase's Eric Helitzer on why a fintech led his $7M Series A.

🎧 Full episode on YouTube and Spotify.

#bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:55 Introduction and Welcome

03:55 Trunk Tools Update and Series B Insights

06:46 Evolution of Trunk Tools: From Co-Pilot to System of Action

09:53 Challenges in Understanding Construction Drawings

12:52 Integration with Systems of Record

15:44 Building Trust in AI Agents

18:44 The Landscape of AI Startups in Construction

27:01 The Surge of AI in Outreach

28:07 Innovation in Construction Technology

32:35 Collaboration vs Competition in AI

34:44 Efficiency Gains in Construction

39:28 The Shift in AI Adoption

43:48 Future of Construction Tech and AI

47:58 Innovations in Construction Technology

49:33 Challenges in Construction Tech

50:16 The Future of Construction Tech

53:29 Structural Integrity and Engineering Insights

01:01:19 Funding and Growth in Construction Startups

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