Construction Conversations Ep. 28 – Surviving the Next 5 Years: What Young PMs Must Know About AI with Dr. Sarah Buchner
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Dec 9, 2025 
Dr. Sarah Buchner, CEO of Trunk Tools, shares her inspiring journey from a farm to a tech entrepreneur in construction. She explores cultural differences in construction practices between Europe and the U.S., highlighting the need for collaboration over competition. Sarah discusses the role of AI in transforming workflows, advocating for data ownership, and finding product-market fit. She warns against relying solely on AI, stressing the importance of human skills in an evolving industry. Her practical tips encourage young professionals to leverage AI for growth.
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Farm Roots To Construction Tech
- Sarah grew up on a farm and started carpentry around age 12, eventually becoming a superintendent. A fatality on a Berlin job prompted her move from field work into construction tech to save lives.
PhD Sparked Data-First Perspective
- A PhD helped Sarah differentiate herself in European corporate construction and led her into research on data in construction. That deep academic work informed her early ML/data-extraction focus long before AI was mainstream.
Europe Builds; U.S. Scales Software
- Europe excels at prefab, modular construction and sustainability while the U.S. leads in software adoption and startup scale. Sarah moved to the U.S. for faster startup growth and easier access to AI talent and capital.