A Conversation with Tony Iannessa and Chris Farrington

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Building a construction company that lasts isn't just about landing the next project or hitting quarterly numbers. It's about creating something that can adapt, grow, and thrive for decades. At BIG, we've approached this challenge through what we call "dual leadership", where bold vision meets disciplined execution. Here's how we think about building for the long term, and why our approach might be different than what you'd expect.

What does "thinking long-term" actually mean in construction?

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Tony: Every organization needs someone living 3-5 years ahead of the current fiscal year. While everyone else is focused on this quarter's numbers, we’re asking: What trends are starting to take shape in our industry? What are our clients asking for that doesn't exist today? Where are the opportunities for new market verticals and service offerings?

Our industry is littered with companies that operate with short-term thinking. You've got leaders who studied engineering, came up through tactical roles, and then one day get promoted to leadership with zero coaching on strategic thinking. They make decisions like, "We have two superintendents with nowhere to bill time next month, so let's bid this project at 0% gross margin." This tactical, short-term mindset has degraded our value and commoditized our industry.

I view every aspect of our business through a long-term lens. That means saying no to projects that don't energize our team, aren't profitable, and don't align with our purpose: to build meaningful relationships with every team member on every project. If it's not a hell yes, it's a hell no.

Chris: Where Tony leads on setting our 3-5 year vision, I'm living in the 3-8 quarters ahead space. It’s my job to ask: What needs to happen next quarter and next year to ensure we're prepared for that long-term vision? What is our current team capable of? Where do we need to supplement or modify to support Tony's vision?

The reality is, you can have the best long-term vision in the world, but if you don't have the operational foundation to execute it, you're just dreaming. Long-term thinking for me means making investments today that hurt our short-term numbers but prevent the revolving door problem. It means building systems so our people can do their best work without heroics, instead of just throwing more bodies at problems when we get busy.

Sometimes that means having difficult conversations with the board about why we're investing in HR capabilities or support functions that don't immediately show up in project margins. But I've seen what happens when you only focus on profit and ignore the foundation, you end up constantly in damage control mode instead of moving forward.

What "bold bets" have you made that others might see as risky?

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Tony: The biggest bet? Refusing to play the traditional game. Instead of having our project managers disappear into conference rooms for a week to prepare for RFP interviews, we're building relationships and demonstrating our value upfront. The month-long RFP process tells clients nothing more about competing firms than they knew at the beginning.

We make strategic hires when we don't have a place for them to bill time, trusting that an A-player will be so valuable to the business that a short-term financial setback doesn't matter. We operate on our EOS platform, which forces us to quarterly examine our 10-year target and 3-year vision. Every decision gets filtered through: Does this advance our mission? Does this hire fit our core values?

Looking ahead, I see a future where clients need us more than we need them. Workforce shortages and pent-up demand will push us into a world where clients need to "book us" years in advance. I'm betting on a team approach with total transparency and early engagement: architects, CMs, and trade partners working together from day one instead of wasting months onboarding and vetting only to discover the design doesn't fit the budget.

Chris: My "bold bet" is on people and culture as our competitive advantage. When everyone else is focused on quarterly numbers, we're investing in making sure our people know we're looking out for their well-being, not just project margins.

The risk? It's expensive upfront and doesn't show immediate returns. But strong culture means people are energized when they come to work, which makes everything more impactful and faster. Bad culture creates a revolving door—people start looking over their shoulders, wondering who's leaving next. Your best PMs get burned out cleaning up messes instead of building relationships.

I'm betting that if we create an environment where talented people want to stay and grow, if we build smart systems that scale better than individual heroics, the numbers will follow. We're still figuring it out, but the alternative—grinding the hardest without building the foundation—leads no where sustainable.

How do you balance innovation with operational stability?

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Tony: Innovation requires challenging everything, but it also means knowing when to double down on what works. Take our EOS platform: while others are chasing the latest management fad, we've committed deeply to this system because it forces us to constantly examine our 10-year target and 3-year vision.

The real innovation isn't always about new technology or processes. Sometimes it's about having the discipline to say no to projects that don't energize our team or align with our purpose, even when everyone else is saying yes to everything that comes through the door.

I see a future where the traditional scramble for work flips entirely. With workforce shortages and pent-up demand, clients will need to "book us" years in advance. That changes everything about how we think about capacity, relationships, and value.

But innovation without execution is just hallucination. That's where Chris comes in.

Chris: Innovation is great, but it can't come at the expense of the team's ability to execute. My job is making sure we don't get so far ahead that we lose people or create chaos. Change doesn't have to mean chaos if you have the right systems and clear communication.

When Tony brings forward a new idea or direction, I'm thinking: How do we implement this without burning out our people? How do we maintain quality while evolving? What support do our PMs need to execute this new approach?

We transition from micromanaging when we were small to training leaders to execute properly as we scale. The goal is creating leaders who can develop other leaders, setting the stage for the next generation to take this company further than either of us could alone.

The Result: Vision + Execution = Growth

Tony: The construction industry is ready for change, and someone has to lead it. But, as I previously mentioned, innovation without execution is just hallucination.

Chris: And operational excellence without vision is just maintenance. You need both.

Together: We built BIG this way because we believe the companies that last aren't the ones that grind the hardest, they're the ones that create environments where talented people want to stay and grow, while constantly pushing the industry forward. That's how you build something that lasts.

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This is just the beginning.

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—Tony Iannessa, Founder & CEO & Chris Farrington, President

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