Phil Chell — the founder behind Hera Waterproofing and Chiron AI — joined us to show what happens when AI stops being a novelty and starts collapsing the timeline on genuine, billable work. Six minutes for what used to be a fortnight. Phil walks through how he got there and, more importantly, what it means for the people who used to own those two weeks.
It's a wide-ranging conversation. Phil is refreshingly honest about the wins and the failures — the projects that didn't land, the cultural resistance, and the uncomfortable truth about the construction skills gap that AI is quietly exposing. We get into:
AI-driven efficiency in construction — where the real time savings are hiding, and where they're a mirage.
The skills gap — why the industry's people problem and its AI opportunity are the same story.
AI and security — the bit most people skip until it bites them.
Culture and innovation — how Phil builds teams that adopt tech instead of fighting it.
Success and failure stories — the honest version, not the LinkedIn version.
Where this all goes next — Phil's read on the future of automation in the built environment.
The thread running through it: efficiency isn't the finish line, it's the starting gun. The question is what you do with the time you just got back.
Links and Stuff
Follow Phil on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/philchell
Hera Waterproofing: herawaterproofing.co.uk
Chiron AI: chironai.co.uk
Listen on
Spotify: Project Flux on Spotify
YouTube: youtube.com/@Project_Flux
Full episode page: Buzzsprout
All content reflects our personal views and is not intended as professional advice or to represent any organisation.