Dirt Talk by BuildWitt

Episode: Tunneling, Agendas, and Code (BuildWitt Update #17) – DT 371

Host: Aaron Witt
Date: September 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid weekly update, Aaron Witt, founder of BuildWitt, walks listeners through recent wins, lessons learned, and behind-the-scenes happenings at BuildWitt. He covers milestones in content production (especially on YouTube), reflects on event planning for the Ariat Dirt World Summit, comments on the development of their software platform, and shares insights into leadership, focus, and business transparency. The tone is straight-shooting, self-reflective, and optimistic, providing a real glimpse into BuildWitt’s journey in the construction and mining industries.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. YouTube Success and Strategy

• Barnard & Northern Water’s Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project Video
  • The latest YouTube video has become BuildWitt’s biggest yet, achieving 70,000 hours of watch time in 24 hours (~8 years of watch time).
  • Aaron attributes the swell in viewership to their improved team structure and production workflow (00:56-04:00).
• Lessons Learned About YouTube
  • Aaron acknowledges initial arrogance about the platform:

    “I did not approach YouTube with the right degree of humility... I thought I knew what I was doing from a storytelling standpoint that got in our way for a very long time.” (03:54)

  • He touts “watch time” as the metric that matters most, not just view count.
  • Highlights how long-form content remains king despite contrary industry noise:

    “Funny enough, everybody that doesn’t know what they’re talking about, says long form’s dead… Even though the biggest YouTube channels are long form.” (02:48)

2. Content Creation & Collaborations

• Production Team Evolution
  • Shoutouts to Jack, TJ, a growing editorial team, and internal support.
  • Insider note: Some industry companies still decline BuildWitt’s requests to film, “which sucks and is very misguided on their part” (04:43).
  • Upcoming travels back to Australia to continue content production (05:11).

3. Ariat Dirt World Summit Updates

• 2025 Event Tease
  • Dallas, TX, November 5-7, 2025, with high-profile speakers: 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.” (06:23)

  • Registrants can use the code AARON10 for 10% off at dirtworld.com.
• Preview of 2026 Event
  • Plans to reduce attendee numbers, focus on quality of experience, and move location to the Southwest.

    “People aren’t comparing us to any other event – they’re comparing us to our last event… and it’s starting to become a hell of a bar.” (15:08)

  • Goal: Announce and potentially sell out 2026 before 2025’s event closes.

4. Field Visit: Hand Tunneling in Indianapolis

• Spontaneous Site Visit (09:13-11:12)
  • Aaron describes being called by Jason Miller of Midwest Mole for a rare hand-mining project—72” tunnel under railroad tracks, done manually over the weekend.
  • Firsthand account:

    “It’s exactly as it sounds. It’s two guys in a pipe with shovels advancing the tunnel by hand.” (10:45)

  • Resulting video is on their channel; Aaron expresses deep appreciation for the crew and the vital nature of their work.

5. Business Focus & New Revenue Streams

• Learning From Past Mistakes (12:04)
  • Reflections on previous, less successful attempts at generating revenue outside their core focus:

    “We’ve always had the best of intentions… but their effectiveness was questionable because they didn’t align with our core offering.”

  • Recently identified two new, not-yet-publicized business lines that are both profitable and aligned with BuildWitt’s mission.
  • Emphasis on patience and letting “the game come to us,” inspired by the Quarterback series on Netflix (13:30).

    “This was a great example of the game coming to us a little bit… In the past five years, we’ve tried to rush things… whereas this was a great example of us being a little bit more patient.” (13:54)

6. Software Product Updates: Full Code Ownership

• Major Milestone
  • BuildWitt now fully owns its software codebase rather than sharing with development partners:

    “We have no more excuses… that means we own where we’re going, but that’s where we want to be.” (17:49)

  • Developers are now fully embedded, allowing for faster improvements and better alignment with end-user needs (field leaders, operators, laborers).
  • Focus is strictly on delivering a product built for 250+ civil construction companies and their teams.

7. On Transparency and Industry Sharing

• Closing Reflections:
  • Aaron acknowledges sometimes feeling self-doubt about sharing their story but reinforces the value in transparency:

    “The industry needs to share more and I think business needs to share more. There’s a lot of bullshit in business right now, especially within language… this weird business speak that has no meaning. And so hopefully you can come here and find maybe a little bit of meaning.” (21:16)

  • Open invitation to connect: “You can message me anytime. Aaron@BuildWitt.com.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Long-Form Content:

  “Long form, it is a different animal. You do have to respect long form. You can’t just fill voids with nonsense, it doesn’t work.”
  — Aaron Witt (03:12)

• On Event Comparison:

  “Our competition isn’t any other event, really. It’s our last event.”
  — Aaron Witt (15:05)

• On Owning the Codebase:

  “We have no more excuses… It’s really exciting because we own where we’re going, but it’s also scary because we own where we’re going. But that’s a great place to be.”
  — Aaron Witt (17:49)

• Industry Transparency:

  “Hopefully you can come here and find maybe a little bit of meaning. But if nothing else, this is just what’s happening, good, bad or indifferent, at BuildWitt.”
  — Aaron Witt (21:30)

Important Timestamps

• 00:56 — YouTube video milestones and strategy
• 04:00 — Team growth and company access challenges
• 06:23 — Ariat Dirt World Summit 2025 preview
• 09:13 — Last-minute hand tunnel site visit
• 12:04 — Learning from business pivots and new revenue streams
• 15:05 — Event focus for the 2026 Dirt World Summit
• 17:49 — Achieving full codebase ownership
• 21:16 — Reflections on sharing, authenticity, and industry critique

Summary in a Nutshell

This episode offers a raw, insightful snapshot into BuildWitt’s current trajectory—balancing evolving media success, deep industry relationships, iterative business focus, and the technical leap of owning their software. Aaron’s honest narrative and practical leadership lessons make the podcast valuable for anyone in construction, media, or entrepreneurship, and his transparency serves as a refreshing antidote to the “business speak” he critiques.