L130 - Journey of developing Modumate with Richman Neumann

AEC Tech Journeys with Mayur Mistry

Richmond Newman, CEO of Modulate, shares his background in architecture, his journey into technology and founding Modulate, as well as advice for entrepreneurs. Richmond studied architecture in college but was exposed to critiques of architectural software tools by his computer science roommates, sparking an interest in improving them. He gained experience at architecture firms and saw firsthand the inefficiencies in drafting tools like Revit. He co-founded Modulate to build 3D architectural design software from the ground up, focused on a better data model and semantics to automate drafting and detailing. The software is built on Unreal Engine for advanced graphics and collaboration.He shares insights into building a compelling startup vision and translating it into a successful enterprise software company. Here are chapter timestamps : 00:00 - Introduction 00:41 - Education and early experience in architecture 02:02 - Dissatisfaction with architecture software tools 03:34 - Working at architecture firms and identifying pain points 07:02 - Forming the idea for Modulate 08:48 - Modulate's innovations and technology 11:13 - Adapting to changing market conditions 13:23 - Demo of Modulate product 21:15 - Integration with Revit and future roadmap 25:54 - Technical details on representing building details in Modulate 31:30 - Distribution model and enterprise focus 36:02 - Advice for architecture professionals interested in startups 40:05 - Building the initial Modulate prototype and fundraising 48:03 - Tips for fundraising with a functional product 57:43 - Advice Rich would give his younger self