Second-Time Founders Still Fail - Solar Market Lessons from Kreo Spinoff

Bricks And Bytes

"Don't build shitty products for problems that don't exist."

This brutal advice from Maksim hit different. After spinning off from his first AEC tech company Kreo, he's now building PVFarm - solar design software that's pulling in $40K average revenue per customer.

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Maksim and we got to learn about why distribution beats product in AEC, how he cracked the $150M solar design market, and why most startup marketing tactics fail in construction tech... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why relationship-based sales trump amazing products in AEC

✅ The two pathways to selling enterprise software in construction

✅ Why LinkedIn outreach and email marketing don't work for AEC startups

✅ How vertical integration beats horizontal CAD tools for specific building types

Listen now on Spotify to hear how Maksim went from building multiple failed products to finding product-market fit with a 40-hour learning curve software that customers love.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Maxim and His Journey in AEC Tech

03:02 Lessons Learned from Creo: Market Understanding and Sales Strategies

05:58 The Relationship Between Sunbeam and PVFarm

09:12 Understanding Sunbeam's Focus and Product Offerings

11:57 The Importance of Collaboration in Design

14:54 Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Solar Design Software

17:57 Market Size and Growth Potential in Solar PV

20:56 Go-to-Market Strategies and Customer Engagement

23:58 Building Value Through Education and Relationships

26:55 Webinars as a Tool for Engagement and Education

33:28 The Value of Community Engagement

33:56 Marketing Strategies That Fail

36:00 Leveraging AI for Usability

39:26 Navigating the AI Landscape

41:14 Building Robust Tools in a Competitive Market

43:52 The Go-Kill Framework for Product Ideas

46:22 The Role of a CEO in a Tech Startup

51:53 Balancing Discipline and Flexibility in Teams

52:41 Successful Products in AEC

54:51 Building in Different Markets

57:12 The Importance of Community in Tech

59:20 Managing Remote Teams

01:01:08 The Intersection of Jiu-Jitsu and Business