Dirt Talk by BuildWitt: Indonesia, Sales, and Parity (BuildWitt Update #13) – DT 363
Release Date: August 11, 2025
Host: Aaron Witt, Founder of BuildWitt
1. Introduction and Overview
In Episode #13 of Dirt Talk by BuildWitt, host Aaron Witt provides a comprehensive update on the latest developments within BuildWitt. This episode, titled "Indonesia, Sales, and Parity," delves into significant leadership changes, strategic sales restructuring, international expansion, and advancements in BuildWitt's software platform. Aaron's transparent and engaging narration offers valuable insights for investors, team members, and industry enthusiasts alike.
2. Major Leadership Changes
Substantial Leadership Restructuring
Aaron begins the episode by announcing key structural changes in the leadership team:
- Dan’s New Role: Dan has assumed leadership over marketing and sales.
- Jason’s New Role: Jason is now spearheading all aspects of Dirt World, including the upcoming Dirt World Summit.
“This sets us up for a more traditional software leadership structure, which is important,” Aaron explains ([00:00]).
Rationale Behind the Changes
These adjustments aim to align BuildWitt with conventional software company structures, enhancing efficiency and strategic oversight. By delegating specific areas to dedicated leaders, BuildWitt positions itself for scalable growth and deeper industry engagement.
3. Sales Strategy and Regional Focus
Regional Division of Sales Teams
Under Dan's leadership, the sales strategy has been restructured to better cater to diverse markets across the United States:
- Division into Six Regions: The six sales representatives have been assigned to six distinct regions, allowing for specialized focus and expertise.
- Real-Time Dashboards: Implementation of new dashboards to monitor sales progress in real-time.
- Hiring of Business Development Reps (BDRs): Expansion of the sales team to include BDRs for enhanced market penetration.
“Civil construction, as any of you can probably attest, is extremely different across America,” Aaron notes ([00:00]).
Benefits of Regional Specialization
Different regions in the U.S. present unique challenges and opportunities in civil construction. By specializing, each sales rep can:
- Master the specific market dynamics of their assigned region.
- Tailor strategies to meet contractors' needs more effectively.
- Enhance customer relationships through localized understanding.
Aaron emphasizes that this focused approach is a fundamental shift towards more effective and personalized sales tactics.
4. Dirt World Summit and Industry Trust
Jason’s Leadership in Dirt World
Jason’s transition to leading Dirt World marks a significant move in strengthening BuildWitt’s industry presence:
- Deepening Industry Trust: While BuildWitt builds broad industry trust through newsletters, podcasts, and social media, Dirt World focuses on building trust on a deeper level.
- Event Leadership: Jason’s expertise in industry relationships is pivotal in organizing and promoting the Dirt World Summit.
“Jason is damn good. He's incredible at doing it,” Aaron praises ([00:00]).
Upcoming Dirt World Summit
The Dirt World Summit is highlighted as a premier industry event aimed at fostering growth and collaboration:
- Dates and Location: November 5th through 7th in Dallas, Texas.
- Attendance: Approximately 1,500 industry leaders from around 500 companies.
- Keynote Speakers: Features notable figures such as Jesse Cole (Savannah Bananas), James Clear (Atomic Habits), Kim Scott (Radical Candor), Mark Miller (Chick-fil-A Leadership), and Tim Grover (Michael Jordan's trainer).
“You will not hear from a lineup like this anywhere else,” Aaron enthuses ([00:00]).
Event Objectives
The summit aims to:
- Provide a platform for leaders to learn, grow, and teach.
- Facilitate networking among like-minded, ambitious industry professionals.
- Present actionable insights from world-class speakers.
5. Team Performance and Leadership Trust
Effective Team Execution
Aaron shares an impressive update on team performance, highlighting the ability of the leadership team to operate seamlessly:
- Leadership Vacation: 60% of the leadership team was on vacation.
- Operational Success: Despite the reduced leadership presence, operations continued smoothly without issues.
“The place didn't burn down, which is quite amazing,” Aaron remarks ([00:00]).
Building Trust Within the Team
Aaron attributes this success to the trust and competence cultivated within the team:
- Empowered Team Members: Team members are trusted to perform their roles effectively without micromanagement.
- Right People in the Right Seats: Assurance that each team member is well-suited for their responsibilities.
“We've built the trust within our team. I feel like we've built just a great team of individuals that get after it,” he shares ([00:00]).
Leadership Philosophy
Aaron emphasizes a leadership style that focuses on empowerment rather than oversight:
“I'm not here to be anybody's parent, anybody's babysitter. Everybody's here to do a job and to do it well,” Aaron states ([00:00]).
6. International Expansion: Indonesia Visit
Partnership with Lieber Mining
Aaron recounts his recent trip to South Sumatra, Indonesia, collaborating with Lieber Mining:
- Purpose of Visit: To inspect and understand Lieber Mining’s operations and machinery.
- Experience in Indonesia: First-time visit, offering insights into international mining practices.
“I once thought America was the best at mining and building. And then I started traveling,” Aaron reflects ([00:00]).
Observations and Impressions
Aaron shares his positive experiences and observations from the visit:
- Operational Efficiency: Lieber Mining’s operations are highly productive with impeccably maintained machinery.
- Cultural and Environmental Insights: Encountered local wildlife and experienced the operational environment firsthand.
“It was spectacular. The operators are so talented truck drivers. They knew exactly where they needed to be,” Aaron enthuses ([00:00]).
Future Content
BuildWitt plans to document and share these international adventures through the YouTube channel, providing visual insights into their global collaborations.
7. Software Platform Migration
Migration to BuildWitt Improve Platform
A significant focus of this update is the transition of customers from the old Training Platform to the new BuildWitt Improve Platform:
- Completion of Initial Migration: Successfully migrated the first group of customers.
- Onboarding Process: The customer success team is actively onboarding company administrators to ensure a smooth transition.
“We're now meeting with each one of these companies, each one of these administrators... to help them understand it so that they can make it as successful as possible,” Aaron explains ([00:00]).
Objectives for the Migration
- Platform Consolidation: Transition all customers to a single, unified platform.
- Feature Parity and Enhancement: Ensuring the new platform matches or surpasses the old one in functionality.
8. Development Updates: Achieving Parity
Feature Development Roadmap
The development team is focused on enhancing the BuildWitt Improve Platform to achieve feature parity with the former Training Platform, with additional improvements:
- Eight Key Features: Targeting the addition of eight essential features within the next four to six weeks.
- Timeline: Aim to complete these features before onboarding all existing customers.
“It's the same product in many ways it's much better. But same feature set and then there's a few key features we're adding as well,” Aaron highlights ([00:00]).
Strategic Goals
- Feature Matching: Ensure the new platform offers all functionalities previously available on BuildWitt Training.
- User Experience Enhancements: Introduce new features that enhance the overall user experience and platform capabilities.
Future Prospects
Once feature parity is achieved, BuildWitt plans to finalize the migration, consolidating all users onto the improved platform and retiring the old Training Platform.
9. Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Aaron wraps up the episode by reiterating the positive trajectory of BuildWitt:
- Confidence in Leadership and Team: Strong belief in the current leadership structure and team competence.
- Excitement for Future Developments: Enthusiastic about upcoming events, international partnerships, and platform enhancements.
“Stay dirty everybody,” Aaron concludes, embodying the hands-on, proactive spirit of BuildWitt ([00:00]).
Key Takeaways
- Leadership Optimization: Strategic changes in leadership roles to enhance marketing, sales, and industry event management.
- Regional Sales Focus: Tailored sales strategies per region to better serve diverse markets.
- Industry Engagement: Commitment to building deep industry relationships through high-profile events like the Dirt World Summit.
- Team Empowerment: Strong, trusted team capable of maintaining operations independently.
- Global Expansion: Positive international collaborations exemplified by the Indonesia visit.
- Software Advancement: Ongoing migration to a superior platform with a focus on feature parity and user experience.
For more updates and detailed insights, visit BuildWitt.com or follow the Dirt Talk podcast series.
