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Ep. 63 - Fixing Bad Data Before It Breaks Your Job
Manage episode 519075030 series 3596158
The fastest way to burn profit is to build off bad data. We sit down with Tylor Foster, founder and CEO of DirtLab, to unpack how rushed designs, mismatched elevations, and vague standards cascade into RFIs, idle equipment, and rework—and how to stop it before a blade ever touches dirt. Tylor draws on years at Granite’s large projects group to show why clean inputs and strong project controls aren’t optional; they’re the foundation that turns weekly WIP into real insight and keeps your forecast honest.
We walk through the real-world path from paper plans to usable GPS models: drone topos, machine control, takeoffs that become working documents, and constructibility reviews that surface conflicts when they’re cheap to fix. If you’ve ever tried to plug engineer CAD directly into your machines, you know the pain: broken layers, missing standards, unusable formats. DirtLab acts as a digital translator between designers and operators, packaging issues and files so engineers can respond fast—and so your crews build it right the first time.
Training is the multiplier. Not the “click here, then here” kind, but the kind that teaches the why, so your team can adapt when the perfect dataset doesn’t exist. Tylor shares ten-second tips that add up to months of savings, plus a frank take on dealer support gaps and how to build a support network that sticks. We also tackle the generational shift: younger leaders embracing base and rover and machine control to control costs, veterans guarding hard-won craft, and the middle ground where tech makes good operators great. The bottom line: technology is no longer about nice-to-have ROI; it’s about the feasibility of staying competitive as owners and DOTs codify digital delivery.
If you’re tired of finding problems in the field, want fewer RFIs, and need models your machines can trust, this conversation lays out the system: clean inputs, constructibility-first modeling, and training that scales from bid to blade. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, share it with your crew, and leave a review to help more builders find it.
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Chapters
1. Opening And Sponsor Message (00:00:00)
2. Meet Tyler Foster Of Dirt Lab (00:01:27)
3. Big Project Lessons And Early Tech Wins (00:03:40)
4. When Designs Don’t Work In The Field (00:06:40)
5. Systems, Cost Controls, And Clean Inputs (00:10:20)
6. Estimating To Job Costing Feedback Loop (00:15:20)
7. Degree Vs Experience And PE Realities (00:18:25)
8. The Rush To Build And 30–60% Drawings (00:21:20)
9. Training For Models, RFIs, And The Why (00:26:50)
10. Bridging The Generational Tech Gap (00:32:20)
11. Support Networks And Dealer Shortfalls (00:37:20)
12. Tech Is Inevitable: Compete Or Fade (00:41:20)
13. Partnership Model And Scaling With Clients (00:46:00)
14. Where To Find Dirt Lab And Closing (00:50:00)
15. Final Takeaway: Ask For Help (00:59:00)
63 episodes
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