Bricks And Bytes 31yr President - "The existing business model is going to change forever" + The AI Risk Mitigation Strategy Delivering 10x the ROI of Every Other Tool in Construction
Apr 1, 2026
Carl McFarland, President of Big D Construction with 30+ years on stadium and large-scale projects, talks about construction’s Blockbuster moment and why current profits can hide looming business-model shifts. He contrasts AI for efficiency versus AI for risk mitigation, explains why vertical integration matters, and argues leaders must rethink strategy, culture, and data-driven value capture.
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Tech Can Simulate Vertical Integration
- Fragmentation plus new tech lets firms simulate vertical integration without full in-house ownership.
- Carl suggests technology and connected partners can recreate the profitability/efficiency of vertical integration at far lower capital cost.
Form Consortia To Share The Risk Of Reinvention
- Form consortiums of like-minded stakeholders to rethink economics and governance for new business models.
- Carl recommends off-balance-sheet joint ventures and partner buy-in to share risk, IP and capital instead of solo multi-year experiments.
Stop Asking Which Tools Buy In Ask How AI Changes The Model
- Many CEOs are investing in efficiency tools but not asking the deeper question of how AI changes the business model.
- Carl warns quantity-takeoff automation may be obsoleted by design-for-manufacture shifts, so focus must be strategic not tactical.