How PlanGrid was Acquired for $875m - Ralph Gootee, CTO

"When we launched PlanGrid, it was the only enterprise product on the iPad. Even Facebook refused to make an iPad app because Zuckerberg didn't believe in it."

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, we had Ralph Gootee and we got to learn about how PlanGrid became the first enterprise app on iPad, the brutal year-long acquisition process, and why pricing decisions can make or break your startup... and many more!

Tune in to find out about:

✅ Why iPad was crucial to PlanGrid's success when even Facebook refused to build an iPad app

✅ The $17,000 marketing hack that involved giving away free iPads to customers

✅ How having 5 co-founders worked despite conventional wisdom saying otherwise

✅ Why AI augments engineers but won't replace them anytime soon

Listen now on Spotify to hear the full story behind one of construction tech's biggest exits and what Ralph is building next with TigerEye.

# Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:45 The Journey of PlanGrid: From Startup to Acquisition

11:37 Product Development and Market Fit: Lessons Learned

21:44 Navigating the Acquisition Landscape: Strategies and Insights

31:41 The Role of AI in Construction: Opportunities and Challenges

41:49 Building for Success: Founder's Mindset and Company Culture

29:49 From Idea to Prototype: The Birth of a Startup

31:18 Y Combinator: The Turning Point for PlanGrid

33:39 Building a Team: The Importance of Co-Founders

39:45 Solo Founders vs. Co-Founders: A Comparative Insight

42:40 User Acquisition: The Power of Viral Growth in Construction

46:44 Pricing Strategies: Lessons Learned from PlanGrid

53:54 Hiring the Best: Building a Legacy at PlanGrid

54:28 The Legacy of Plangrid and Its Impact on the Industry

54:58 Challenges in Recruiting and Building a Team

56:26 The Importance of Hiring the Right People

58:54 Scaling Challenges and the Need for Fast Decisions

01:02:13 Emerging Companies in Construction Tech

01:03:18 Lessons Learned from Building Plangrid

01:07:12 The Role of AI in Software Development

01:13:08 Introducing TigerEye: A New Venture

01:20:59 Evaluating ROI in Construction Tech