Two years ago I started a design-build firm. For 10 years before that I was a marketing consultant telling contractors how to run their business. I became the thing I used to advise, and I got humbled fast.
An operations consultant would charge $15,000 to document my workflow. 4 to 6 weeks. An EOS implementer, a fractional COO, meetings, a binder nobody reads.
I did it in 90 minutes with Claude Code. One conversation. Three words: "and then what?" Every time I thought I was done, the AI asked again. And every time it asked, I uncovered something I'd buried so deep in muscle memory I didn't even know it was there.
What I walked away with: → A 10-stage swim-lane flow chart of my entire business → 4 signature gates + 4 money moments, mapped separately → A business rule about install day that unlocks 20% earlier cash flow → Confirmation that a habit I invented is actually a high-end design-build standard → 6 insights about my own business I didn't know after 2 years of running it
This is Video 1 of 4 in the PDB Studio Build-in-Public series. I'm building the software I wish I'd had as a solo contractor, on camera, in public, with real numbers.
If you're a GC, remodeler, solo trade, or small design-build firm running on muscle memory and scattered systems, this is for you.
WANT TO TALK? If you're a contractor or small firm owner thinking about bringing AI into your business, reach out: [email protected]. I read every email.
CHAPTERS 00:00 The $15K consultant I replaced 00:40 Who I am (and why I got humbled) 02:00 The problem (I thought my business had 6 steps) 03:15 What I did (90 minutes with Claude Code) 04:00 The magic prompt: "and then what?" 05:00 Brain dump (tell the ugly truth) 06:00 Let it recursively unpack you 07:00 Uncover the hidden steps 08:00 Mark signature gates and money moments 09:00 Export and brand 10:00 The reveal: the 10-stage flow chart 11:00 The 6 insights I didn't know I knew 11:30 The math: $15K vs $20 13:00 What's next (Video 2 of 4)
NEXT EPISODE Video 2: "I Designed My Perfect Construction Workflow." I take the map and turn it into the technical architecture for the software I'm building.
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ABOUT STEVE Steve Larosiliere is a Chicago-based solo design-build contractor at Purpose Design + Build. Before that, a marketing consultant to the construction industry for 10 years. He also runs BuilderGrowth, an AI infrastructure practice for contractors, non profits, and STOKED, a 20-year youth mentorship nonprofit.
