Podcast Summary: Dirt Talk by BuildWitt — “BuildWitt Dashboard and 80% Tickets Sold (Building BuildWitt #39)” (DT 415)

Release Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Aaron Witt, Founder of BuildWitt

Overview

In this energetic solo episode, Aaron Witt dives deep into recent milestones at BuildWitt, sharing behind-the-scenes insights, company philosophy, and exciting updates for both team members and the Dirt World industry at large. Topics include the launch of BuildWitt’s real-time company dashboard, a major milestone in ticket sales for the Ariat Dirt World Summit 2026, team and product development news, and evolving strategies with key partners like Komatsu.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. BuildWitt’s Mission and Activities

• BuildWitt’s core mission is to “build the dirt world’s next generation”—supporting those who construct and maintain critical infrastructure.
• The company does this through:
  • Training & Development: Via the daily learning platform “BuildWitt Improve,” which helps over 300 civil construction companies.
  • Industry Influence: Storytelling and advocacy to inspire new talent and highlight essential industry roles.
  • Events: Hosting the annual Ariat Dirt World Summit, which focuses on leadership and workforce development.

“We are first and foremost here to build the dirt world’s next generation. We're doing that through a few different means.”
—Aaron Witt (00:35)

2. Launch of the Company Dashboard

• The new dashboard provides real-time access to key company metrics, such as:

  • Revenue vs. goals
  • Summit ticket sales
  • Lessons competed by BuildWitt Improve users

• Transparency is a long-standing BuildWitt value, but Aaron highlights that making metrics available isn’t enough—employees need education on what the numbers mean and why they matter.

“Transparency wins has been a BuildWitt core value since the beginning. I've always been a big believer in sharing information... The problem became that the company...became a little bit more complex financially and...it wasn't all that in real time, it wasn't all that helpful.”
—Aaron Witt (02:04)

• Emphasizes the importance of financial literacy for the team, acknowledging that most people are not taught personal or business finance, so the company is taking on an educational role.

“You can't just give people all this information and expect them to...understand it and...know what to do with it.”
—Aaron Witt (04:15)

• The dashboard project was a 15-month effort, but the challenge now is to leverage it for education and business growth.

3. Ariat Dirt World Summit: Milestones and Mindset Shift

• 80% of 2026 tickets sold—significantly ahead of schedule and prior years. This is seen as validation for the focus and value of the event.
• Attendance capped at 1,250 leaders for a more curated experience.
• Aaron signals a shift away from trying to persuade the hesitant:
  “I'm done explaining myself. I really just want to work and focus on those that get it and those that I've been fighting uphill with, I'm just getting rid of... I'm not here to convince. I'm not here to sell. Get on board. If you're on board, it's going to be a great time. If not, whatever bro.” (14:30)
• Focus is now on “early adopters” who embrace new approaches to leadership and workforce development.

4. Partnerships and Industry Influence

• Recent interview with Rod Bohl, CEO of Komatsu North America, signals deepening collaboration.
• Komatsu has become a key supporter and industry partner for BuildWitt, participating in events and exploring future training projects.

“It's really, really cool for me to have such high caliber leaders willing to come down to Nashville, sit down for a few hours and talk shop.”
—Aaron Witt (10:55)

5. Customer Success and Team Expansion

• The support team has doubled in size in 2026, addressing a critical gap as customer numbers have grown.
• Aaron admits team members were stretched too thin:
  “It's like 100 plus customers per person, which is not sustainable... By doubling our capacity...we should see better implementation, we should see better ongoing utilization, we should see more impact to each customer's workforce and then ultimately we'll see better renewal numbers.” (18:05)
• Aim: World-class support and improved customer impact.

6. Product Development Update: ‘BuildWitt Improve’

• Major UX/UI overhaul launching in Q1, representing the platform’s biggest update since inception.
• New home screen and layout designed to improve user engagement and highlight actionable tasks, announcements, and resources.

“It'll be a totally new look... that should show any announcements from leadership, should show them what they need to do today and then should show them what the heck is on the platform in general so that they can dig in and focus on what they need most.”
—Aaron Witt (21:40)

7. Leverage of Content Library & Brand Value

• BuildWitt’s content repository has become a core business asset—thousands of training videos, podcasts, social media posts, and more.
• New tech is making it easier to leverage this content for customer value.
• Brand equity and content depth are central to BuildWitt’s current and future strategy.

“With tools now coming online that can digest content better and faster than ever before, we believe we can gather up our content and better leverage it to serve our customers, to create real world value, to better equip those that are building our world.”
—Aaron Witt (23:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Financial Transparency and Team Education (04:15):
  “You can't just give people all this information and expect them to...understand it and...know what to do with it. Business finances are very different than personal finances. And the reality is most people don't even understand their personal finances. They're never taught.”

• On the New Event Mindset (14:30):
  “I'm done explaining myself... I'm not here to convince. I'm not here to sell. Get on board. If you're on board, it's going to be a great time. If not, whatever bro.”

• On Company’s Future Direction (25:15):
  “We've always said that the real value to our business is our brand, our brand awareness, the brand equity that we have and then the…sheer volume of content... We have more than anyone else. It's...awesome.”

Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & Purpose (00:00–03:00)
• Company Dashboard & Transparency (03:00–08:00)
• Defining BuildWitt’s Business (08:00–09:40)
• Komatsu Partnership & Podcast Guest (09:40–12:50)
• Ariat Dirt World Summit: Ticket Milestone & Mindset (12:50–17:00)
• Team Growth & Customer Support (17:00–19:25)
• ‘BuildWitt Improve’ Product Updates (19:25–22:15)
• Content Library & Brand Focus (22:15–25:10)
• Closing Thoughts & Contact Invite (25:10–End)

Tone & Language

Aaron Witt’s tone is candid, energetic, and no-nonsense. He’s passionate about the industry, honest about challenges, and laser-focused on building a learning culture and brand-led business.

Final Thoughts

Listeners get a transparent, no-holds-barred view inside BuildWitt’s priorities and progress. Key takeaways: transparency, relentless improvement, focus on those “who get it,” and leveraging content and relationships for industry-wide impact.

Contact:
Aaron encourages listeners to reach out directly with questions or feedback at aaron@buildwitt.com.

Sign-Off:
"Everybody stay dirty. Ra."