Join us in this exciting episode of the Slice of Construction podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Andrew Zukoski, Co-Founder & CEO at Join.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• What is Join? A software solution optimizing early design and pre-construction for commercial projects.

• Industry Shift: The rise of collaborative delivery methods like design-build and CM at risk.

• Real-World Impact: How Join helps owners make faster, better-informed decisions.

• Key Lessons Learned: Why buildings are ultimately about people and relationships.

• What’s Next? Join’s expansion into enterprise-wide data aggregation and risk assessment.

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How Join is Revolutionizing Pre-Construction Collaboration

The Vision Behind Join

Andrew Zukoski, Co-Founder and CEO of Join, comes from a software engineering background with roots in 3D printing and medical devices. Alongside his co-founders, he founded Join nearly eight years ago to address a critical gap in commercial construction—maximizing project outcomes for owners.

Join is built around improving early design and pre-construction processes. Commercial projects are highly complex, involving a tangled web of constraints, from budget limitations to design feasibility and market conditions. By enabling better collaboration, Join ensures that project teams can make informed decisions faster, minimizing costly delays and misunderstandings.

The Shift Toward Collaborative Project Delivery

The construction industry is undergoing a major shift. Traditional design-bid-build methods are giving way to more integrated approaches like design-build and construction manager at risk (CMAR). Industry studies confirm this trend—project teams are prioritizing collaboration more than ever before.

Join is fueling this transition by providing a centralized software platform where all key stakeholders—owners, designers, and contractors—can communicate efficiently. The platform allows teams to iterate quickly, get real-time cost feedback, and even start fieldwork before designs are fully finalized. This results in better outcomes and a more streamlined pre-construction process.

A Real-World Example: The $1,000 Outlet Problem

One compelling story highlights the need for better communication in construction. A general contractor working on a $100M medical project casually estimated the cost of adding an electrical outlet at $1,000. The owner, skeptical, brought a Home Depot bag to the next meeting, showing that all the materials could be purchased for just $62.

What the owner didn’t realize was that the cost wasn’t just about materials—it included labor, inspections, compliance with medical building codes, and other hidden factors. This breakdown in communication is precisely what Join aims to solve. By offering transparency in cost and project data, Join prevents these misunderstandings, ensuring that stakeholders trust each other and make quicker, better-informed decisions.

Lessons Learned: Construction is About People

Reflecting on Join’s journey, Zukoski shared a key realization: buildings are ultimately about people. While software and processes matter, the success of any project depends on the relationships and trust among the owner, architect, and contractor.

This insight shaped Join’s approach to product development. Initially, the company focused on automating design tools for architects. However, they soon realized that the real leverage point was the OAC (Owner-Architect-Contractor) meeting—the core decision-making hub for any project. By facilitating smoother collaboration at this stage, Join significantly impacts project efficiency and outcomes.

What’s Next for Join?

Join is expanding its capabilities beyond individual projects. The company is rolling out new enterprise-level features, including:

• Historical Cost Analysis: Leveraging past project data to improve cost modeling.

• Portfolio-Wide Risk Tracking: Identifying design and pre-construction risks early.

• Standardized Decision Libraries: Helping companies make informed choices based on proven options.

By centralizing and analyzing project data, Join aims to help construction firms build on previous successes, reducing inefficiencies and driving innovation across the industry.

Final Thoughts

Join isn’t just another construction software—it’s a fundamental shift in how commercial projects are planned and executed. By prioritizing collaboration, transparency, and data-driven decision-making, Join is setting a new standard for pre-construction efficiency. As the industry continues to evolve, Join’s impact is only expected to grow.

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