From Mountainsides to Megabytes: What Does It Really Take to Build the Future?

What if the most powerful tool on a construction site was no longer a towering crane or a ground-shaking excavator, but a device you could hold in the palm of your hand? Imagine technology once reserved for blockbuster film effects and advanced geographical surveys, now so small, so accessible, that it could fundamentally reshape how we build the world around us. This isn’t a far-off fantasy; it’s a reality being championed by people like Josh Schumann, and it poses a profound question: when revolutionary tools become simple enough for anyone to use, what happens to an industry that has spent centuries perfecting its resistance to change?

In a recent, deeply insightful conversation on the Project Flux podcast, Josh Schumann, Director of Pepper Build Construction and a consultant for NavLive, offered a compelling look into the dualities that define the modern construction landscape. On one hand, he operates in the world of high-end residential projects in Kensington and Chelsea, a realm of bespoke quality and meticulous craftsmanship. On the other, he is at the vanguard of a technological revolution, helping to introduce cutting-edge LIDAR scanning technology that promises to bring unprecedented clarity and efficiency to the chaotic reality of a building site.

His journey is not a straightforward one. It is a path that winds from the tangible grit of a construction site to the abstract complexities of artificial intelligence, and even finds parallels in the punishing solitude of ultra-endurance running. It’s a story about challenging the status quo, not just with technology, but with a mindset that questions the very nature of work, success, and personal limitation. It reveals a man who understands that building something of value, whether a luxury home or a resilient business, is less about the tools you use and more about the tenacity you possess.

One of the most powerful threads in the conversation is the theme of miniaturisation. Technology that was once the domain of specialists, requiring bulky, expensive equipment and extensive training, is shrinking. As Josh explains, the NavLive device is a handheld LIDAR scanner that can map an entire site in minutes, processing the data on the device itself to produce floor plans and sections almost instantly. This isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s a paradigm shift. As the physical hardware becomes smaller and more affordable, it represents a profound democratisation of capability. Suddenly, powerful tools are no longer locked away in the ivory towers of large corporations but are placed directly into the hands of those on the ground.

However, this technological leap forward runs headfirst into a deeply human obstacle: the construction industry’s deep-seated cultural inertia. As the conversation highlights, putting a revolutionary tool in someone’s hand is one thing; getting them to trust it, to change their time-honoured workflows, is another entirely. The industry is grappling with a critical tension. The cost of entry for powerful technology is plummeting, yet the cost of upskilling a workforce, of overcoming the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality, remains stubbornly high. This reluctance isn’t just about being stuck in the past; it’s rooted in the risk-averse nature of a sector where mistakes are measured in millions of pounds and project delays can be catastrophic.

This leads to a fascinating debate about the role of artificial intelligence itself. Josh expresses a healthy scepticism towards the current wave of AI, particularly the often-opaque systems being retrofitted into existing software. He contrasts the “black box” nature of tools like Microsoft’s Copilot with platforms that offer greater transparency, allowing the user to see the underlying process and guide the outcome. It’s a crucial distinction. For an industry built on precision and accountability, the idea of an AI that “lies” or hallucinates is not just a frustration; it’s a non-starter. True adoption, he argues, will come from systems that empower professionals, not those that simply offer a veneer of intelligence without genuine, verifiable insight.

The conversation navigates this complex technological landscape with nuance, acknowledging that while some AI applications may feel like a “square peg in a round hole,” they can also serve as a crucial first step for many, a lightbulb moment that opens the door to deeper engagement. Yet, the core challenge remains: how do you convince a cautious industry to take a leap of faith? The answer, as the discussion pragmatically concludes, will not come from evangelists or tech gurus. It will be dictated by the unforgiving logic of the market. The tipping point will arrive when the efficiencies gained from these technologies are so immense that it becomes economically impossible to compete without them. When survival itself is on the line, reluctance will be forced to give way to necessity.

Perhaps the most surprising and humanising aspect of the podcast is the sharp turn it takes from the world of construction sites and AI algorithms to the windswept slopes of Mount Snowden at 3 a.m. Josh is an endurance athlete, and his reflections on the brutal, solitary pursuit of pushing one’s physical limits provide a powerful metaphor for the challenges of entrepreneurship. He recounts the monumental effort of running up and down Snowden six times in 24 hours, an experience that strips everything back to the raw essence of commitment: one foot in front of the other, again and again.

When asked which is harder – running up a mountain or building a business – his answer is immediate and unequivocal: business is harder. An endurance race, for all its physical pain, is a pure, personal challenge. The obstacles are your own; the struggle is internal. Business, by contrast, is a battle fought on multiple fronts against external forces. It’s an environment where, as he candidly shares, people can be rude, uncommunicative, and at times, almost seem to wish for your failure. The anecdote of spending weeks on a detailed tender only to be met with complete silence is a painfully relatable one for anyone who has poured their heart into a project, only to see it disappear into a void.

This juxtaposition is what makes his story so compelling. The same mental fortitude required to put on your trainers when every fibre of your being wants to stay on the sofa is the same resilience needed to face another day in a cut-throat industry. It’s the understanding that you can always go a little further, give a little more, and that the greatest rewards often lie just on the other side of the most significant discomfort. It’s a philosophy that sees the inherent value in struggle, whether on a mountain trail or in a tense negotiation.

The conversation with Josh Schumann is a rich tapestry of ideas that connects the dots between technology, human psychology, and the relentless pursuit of improvement. It’s a reminder that progress is never a straight line; it is a messy, complicated, and often frustrating process, but one that is ultimately driven by human curiosity and an unyielding belief in our potential to build better, smarter, and more efficiently.

To truly appreciate the depth of this discussion, you need to hear it for yourself. We’ve only scratched the surface of the insights Josh shared, from the story behind his company’s unusual name to his detailed critique of project management software and his vision for the future of the industry. If you’re curious about where construction is heading, or if you’re simply looking for a dose of inspiration on how to navigate the challenges of your own professional journey, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Find out why the future of building may have more in common with endurance running than you could ever imagine.

Listen to the full episode with Josh Schumann on the Project Flux podcast to discover more.