What Happens When We Design Without Listening

In this episode of KP Unpacked, the number one podcast in AEC, Jeff Echols sits down with Frank Thalakotur, Senior Research Advisor at KP Reddy Co., to dig into one of the core issues holding the AEC industry back—chronic misalignment between design, delivery, and owner value.

Frank brings experience across HVAC engineering, MEP project management, startup innovation, and owner’s rep work. But in his current role, he’s stepping back from solutions and going deep into problem discovery.

Together, they unpack:

• Why the AEC industry keeps solving symptoms instead of root causes
• How contracts—not outcomes—are driving behavior
• Why owners remain disconnected from the value chain
• What it takes to shift from isolated innovation to system-level alignment
• Why “data is the new concrete”—and what happens when no one’s pouring it

This is real research, real voices, and real stakes. If you’ve ever asked “Why does this keep happening?” in AEC, you’ll want to listen in.

🎧 Powered by KP Reddy Co.
🎙 Hosted by Jeff Echols, Executive Director of Catalyst
🧠 Featuring Frank Thalakotur, Senior Research Advisor, KP Reddy Co.

Sounds like you? Join the waitlist at https://kpreddy.co/

Check out one of our Catalyst conversation starters, AEC Needs More High-Agency Thinkers

Hope to see you there!