Architecture, And: Killing the Profession's Ego with George Valdes

How can killing the profession’s collective ego unlock new business models, elevate client experience, and modernize business development across the AEC industry?

In this episode of Practice Disrupted, host Evelyn Lee welcomes back George Valdes, co-founder of ToolBlocks and marketing and design lead at companies such as Monograph, IrisVR, Paperspace, and WeWork. Five years after his initial appearance on the podcast, George returns to reflect on his non-linear trajectory, from studying landscape architecture at FIU and earning an M.Arch at Columbia GSAPP to navigating the tech startup ecosystem without a traditional coding background. George unpacks how early experiences, including running a design firm prior to graduation and leading accreditation efforts at Columbia that brought him deep inside NAAB and NCARB, shaped his decision to step away from traditional practice and realize that professionals can simply take agency and "just do things".

The conversation explores the mechanics of tech adoption, the friction around firm portfolios, and how his latest venture, ToolBlocks, leverages network intelligence and AI agents to collapse non-billable time and streamline business development for AEC firms. The discussion also dives into client experience as the critical battleground for the next decade, pushing firm leaders to challenge received ideas around marketing, fee structures, annual reviews, and compensation models. George advocates for a shift in how architectural education and practice view the "expanded architect," emphasizing that the profession must be willing to dismantle its ego to adapt to changing client expectations and market realities.

"It's just this energy of 'you can just do things.' When there's friction or a lack of agency, I'm always questioning why. Who's saying that you can't do something?" - George Valdes

This episode serves as a powerful reminder that architectural practice is moving beyond traditional boundaries, requiring firm leaders to align business strategy, client experience, and internal operations. By questioning inherited norms and embracing operational leverage, architects can position themselves for sustainable growth in an evolving industry.

Guests:

George Valdes is the co-founder of ToolBlocks, a platform focused on helping AEC firms grow their network, build pipeline, and automate business development workflows. With an academic foundation in landscape architecture from Florida International University and an M.Arch from Columbia University GSAPP, George spent a year leading GSAPP's accreditation process before transitioning into tech. Over the past decade, he has held leadership roles across product, marketing, and strategy at Augmate, IrisVR (acquired by Autodesk), Paperspace (acquired by DigitalOcean), WeWork, and Monograph.

This episode is especially for you if:

You are curious about how to navigate non-traditional career paths in AEC, product management, and tech leadership.

You want to learn how relationship mapping and AI tools can modernize business development and collapse non-billable hours.

You are looking to reframe client experience as a primary driver of firm value and differentiation.

You are interested in challenging received ideas around firm operations, performance reviews, and seller-doer compensation models.

You believe architectural education and practice should embrace the concept of the "expanded architect" to stay relevant.