PM's perspective on Tech Saturation and Jobsite Culture

In the latest episode of Construction Conversations, we caught up with John Riggs (Senior Project Manager at Suffolk) to talk about tech skepticism, evolving leadership, and why humility might be the most underrated tool in your kit.

John’s path into construction wasn’t linear, he studied plant genetics and political science before finding his way back to the industry. That eclectic background sharpened his thinking, gave him a unique lens on problem-solving, and shaped his deeply human-first approach to leadership and technology.

Here’s what stood out.

1. Curiosity beats credentials every time.

John didn’t come from a traditional construction background. But what got him in the door and helped him rise quickly wasn’t a resume packed with technical degrees. It was curiosity, adaptability, and the willingness to ask questions (and find answers). Whether it was learning takeoffs, coordinating mechanicals, or managing full scopes he just figured it out. “They give us a book and a bunch of pictures,” he jokes. “Then you go learn.”

2. Tech isn’t failing, it’s the implementation that is.

John is clear-eyed about construction tech. While tools like OpenSpace and DroneDeploy are real time-savers, he argues that the real challenge isn’t capability it’s organizational alignment. Fragmented adoption, unclear expectations, and a disconnect between vendor hype and jobsite reality are slowing progress. The takeaway? “We don’t need more apps, we need tools that integrate with the way we work.”

3. Punchlists are ripe for reinvention.

If you handed John a VC check tomorrow, his first build wouldn’t be a robot or scheduling AI it’d be a smarter punchlist. His dream tool? An application that tapped into your tech stack and automatically created a punchlist of the digital and physical items needing to be completed before turnover. It wouldn’t try to “think for you” just make your work visible, manageable, and shareable across teams.

4. Time management isn’t just personal, it’s cultural.

Now a new dad and seasoned PM, John is grappling with the same leadership challenge many high-performers face: learning to let go. Not in a “hands off” way, but in a “show others how” kind of way. “It's not that I don't trust people,” he says. “It's just hard to hand something off when you know how to do it well.” His shift? Enablement over execution. Delegation with a final check.

5. BIM’s problem isn’t the tech, it’s trust and timing.

John’s take on BIM? It's essential but only if the people paying for it understand what they’re actually buying. Designers use it for one thing. GCs need it for another. And if owners don’t push for early integration, that misalignment can derail coordination. The magic happens when everyone gets on the same page before the shovel hits the ground.

Best Quotes

“Construction is just running a small business out of a trailer. If you know how to think, you can figure out how to build.”

“Most tech doesn’t fail because it’s bad it fails because people don’t understand how to plug it into their actual workflow.”

“Early in your career, say yes to everything. Later on, learn how to say yes without doing it all yourself.”

“BIM only works if everyone agrees on what they’re using it for. Otherwise, we’re just modeling for modeling’s sake.”

“The problem isn’t too much tech. It’s too much tech that doesn’t talk to each other.”

“You can’t change construction culture by yelling up or down the org chart. You have to meet people where they are.”

Conclusion

This episode is a reminder that leadership in construction isn’t about being the smartest person in the room it’s about asking the right questions, building trust, and challenging the status quo without losing the jobsite in the process.

If you’re trying to innovate, lead, or just keep your head above water listen to this one. John Riggs won’t give you a silver bullet. But he might give you a smarter way to build the future.