Alexandre Teplitxky

This transcript has been edited for clarity and readability. Filler words and minor repetitions were removed, and formatting was adjusted while preserving the original tone and intent of the conversation.

Henry Harrison:
I want to welcome to the show today Alexandre Teplitxky—Alex Teplitxky. It took me a couple tries to get that right.

Alex is the marketing leader at Smart PM Technologies, Inc. In construction, “PM” stands for project management. Alex also has an extensive background in marketing and entrepreneurship.

Alex, welcome to the show.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Hello, Henry. Thanks for having me.

What Smart PM Does

Henry Harrison:
Tell me about Smart PM. I have a background in construction—I used to own a custom home building company—so I’m familiar with delays, which I know is a major focus for your organization. There’s also so much new technology coming along with AI.

I’ve looked at your website and can see the benefits, but you can explain it better than I can.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Let me describe the ecosystem first.

I’ve been in construction tech for over 10 years now, which is almost a “dinosaur era” given how young the category is. I worked at Procore, Autodesk, and another AI startup focused on scheduling. Now I’m at Smart PM.

When I started, there were a few dozen companies solving construction workflows. Now there are thousands—over 5,000 companies—tackling delays, cost overruns, and related issues.

About a year ago, I joined Smart PM because I believed their approach was unique.

Our mission is to fight delay in construction. Delay is the root cause behind:

• Cost overruns

• Strained relationships between owners, contractors, and subcontractors

• Project inefficiencies

Most platforms claim to address these issues, but often indirectly. Smart PM focuses on delay directly.

Founder-Led Insight

Henry Harrison:
So your founder’s background plays a big role?

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Absolutely.

Our founder, Michael Pink, spent 20 years as a consultant analyzing construction projects—during and after completion—to understand delays and determine responsibility.

He realized much of that work could be automated:

• Data analysis

• Calculations

• Algorithms

• Interpretation

That became Smart PM.

We take schedule data—one of the most comprehensive datasets in construction—and apply analytics and AI to surface insights and tell the story of how a project is performing.

The goal is to give visibility to all stakeholders—from executives to field teams—so they can act early and prevent problems.

Real-World Example

Henry Harrison:
Give a practical example.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
We typically work on projects starting around $5–10 million and going up to billions.

These schedules can have thousands of activities, making it difficult to understand what’s really happening.

Some examples of what we analyze:

• Activities that should have started but didn’t

• Activities that should have finished but didn’t

• Whether recovery plans are realistic

For example, if a project falls behind, teams might plan to “catch up” by doubling productivity later. That looks good on paper—but we flag whether it’s realistic based on historical data.

We also evaluate schedule quality. We’ve found about 88% of baseline schedules are not strong enough to support reliable decision-making.

If the schedule is flawed from the beginning, the project is already at risk.

Speed, Automation & Objectivity

Henry Harrison:
So this saves time and improves decision-making?

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Exactly.

Instead of spending hours building reports:

• Teams upload schedules

• Get dashboards instantly

• See trends and risks

We also serve as a neutral reference point.

Instead of owners and contractors arguing based on opinions, they can align around data and have better conversations.

Adoption Challenges

Henry Harrison:
Adoption is always a concern.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
It’s critical.

There are thousands of startups competing for attention. Every tool promises:

• Faster delivery

• Lower risk

• Easy implementation

But if implementation fails:

• You lose money

• You lose credibility internally

That’s why onboarding must be structured:

• Clear timelines

• Training

• Support

If customers can’t successfully deploy within 3–6 months, churn risk increases significantly.

Career Path

Henry Harrison:
You specialize in construction tech and marketing. Did you always know this path?

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Not at all.

I’ve always liked building things, but I’m not an engineer. I’m more product-minded.

After college, I started a company and realized marketing was my way of contributing to building something—even if I wasn’t coding it.

As for construction, I was drawn to its real-world impact:

• Buildings

• Infrastructure

• Communities

It’s tangible.

And I’m wired to notice inefficiency—construction has a lot of room for optimization.

Investing & Industry Trends

Henry Harrison:
You’ve also invested in a prefab software company.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Yes—Offsite.

Prefabrication is a major trend. It moves construction into controlled environments:

• Reduces waste

• Improves consistency

• Helps address housing shortages

I learned about it through the Procore network and invested because I believe in the long-term impact.

Personal Interests

Henry Harrison:
You’ve traveled to 60 countries and also paraglide. Tell me about that.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Paragliding connects back to construction tech, actually.

At Procore, our office overlooked the Pacific Ocean, and you’d see paragliders outside constantly. Santa Barbara is one of the best places for it.

It’s a unique experience:

• Quiet

• Peaceful

• Forces focus

I’m also a pilot, but paragliding is more immersive.

Travel is another passion. It builds empathy—you see different cultures and realize people everywhere are trying to solve similar problems in different ways.

Closing

Henry Harrison:
That’s a great conclusion.

Thank you for coming on. It’s been a pleasure having Alexandre Teplitxky, marketing leader at Smart PM Technologies.

Alexandre Teplitxky:
Thank you so much, Henry. It’s been great.