Why Gen Z is Quietly Redrawing the Career Map

 

Why Gen Z is Quietly Redrawing the Career Map

Every generation reaches a moment when it realizes the world has changed faster than expected. For Gen Z, that moment arrived with AI.

Glassdoor’s latest data shows 70% of Gen Z workers say AI has made them question their job security. That’s a striking number—not because it reflects fear, but because of how it’s shaping their next steps.

Many young people aren’t waiting to see what happens. They’re changing majors, shifting directions, and choosing careers they believe will remain stable—“AI-proof,” as some are calling them.

All photos - My grandson Dean

My 14 year old grandson, Dean, recently told me,

“I’m leaning toward construction and maybe starting my own business.”

That sentiment isn’t rare anymore and not just from those unsure about college. It’s coming from young professionals already in degree programs who are rethinking what stability and purpose mean.

A Generation Making Practical Moves

What’s different about this shift is how practical it feels.

Gen Z isn’t chasing flashy trends or slogans. They’re looking for careers that can’t be automated, skills that hold value, and work that builds something real.

We’re seeing increased interest in:

• The skilled trades — carpentry, welding, HVAC, electrical, modular construction
• Healthcare and education — where empathy, intuition, and personal connection still matter
• Sustainability-focused work — clean energy, green building, and resilient design
• Entrepreneurial paths — where adaptability becomes a strength, not a risk

These choices may not come with the same social media glamour as a tech startup job, but they reflect a deeper understanding of what the future workforce might look like.

The Trades Are No Longer the “Backup Plan”

For too long, skilled trades were treated as second-tier options. Today, they’re looking more like smart investments. They offer something many white-collar jobs don’t: Stability, Tangible results, Local demand, and a pathway to business ownership like my grandson wants.

And the construction industry is responding. Apprenticeships, trade schools, and even modular construction companies are offering paid training, tuition support, and guaranteed positions. For a generation anxious about student loans and automation, this is a powerful combination.

What Employers Should Take Away

If you’re hiring—or trying to attract young talent—this is a trend worth paying attention to.

Gen Z is asking hard questions:

• What parts of my job can AI replace?
• What skills can I build that will always be needed?
• Where can I find meaning in the work?

Companies that can answer those questions clearly—with honesty, training, and visible career paths—will earn trust.

A Thought to Leave You With

Every generation faces a reckoning with technology. This one just happens to be happening faster than usual. But rather than panic, Gen Z is pivoting—quietly, deliberately, and with surprising clarity.

They’re not rejecting AI. They’re just choosing futures that still need a human touch.

And maybe that’s the lesson for all of us: to build careers—and companies—that no robot could ever replace.

A Note from my grandson: "Pop Pop, I don't want to be a Gen Z, I want to be a Gen Alpha. I missed being a Gen Alpha by 26 days."

From Profit to Blitzscaling: When Startups Lost Sight of the Bottom Line

 

There was a time, not so long ago, when starting a business meant one thing: survival. You opened your doors, you watched every penny, and you prayed that next month’s sales would cover the rent, payroll, and maybe leave enough left over to take your spouse out to dinner. Profit wasn’t just important—it was the oxygen keeping the lights on.

But somewhere along the way, that mindset began to change. Slowly at first, then like a landslide that carried entrepreneurs far away from their roots. Today, too many startups are chasing followers, likes, and valuations instead of customers, margins, and sustainable growth. How did we get here?

The Old Days: Profit as Proof

For most of the 20th century, business owners had no illusions. If you didn’t make money, you didn’t last. You went to the bank with a business plan, borrowed what you needed, and then spent the next five years sweating every dollar. There was no safety net, no viral moment that would bail you out, no angel investor waiting in the wings. Profit wasn’t optional—it was the business.

The Dot-Com Detour

Then came the late 1990s and the first tech boom. Suddenly, new companies could raise millions without ever showing a profit. The magic phrase was “eyeballs.” As long as your website drew traffic, investors lined up. Growth—any kind of growth—was rewarded. When the bubble burst, thousands of those businesses disappeared overnight, but the seed had been planted: in the right conditions, growth mattered more than profit, at least in the short term.

Social Media: The Follower Economy

By the mid-2000s, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube rewrote the playbook. For the first time, a startup could get global exposure without buying a single billboard or hiring a Madison Avenue agency. It felt like the gold rush. All you needed was something viral, and you could leapfrog over the slow grind of building a customer base. The metric for success shifted from revenue to reach. Who cared if your margins were razor-thin if you had a million followers watching your every move?

The 2010s: Blitzscaling and Influencers

The next decade cemented the shift. Venture capital poured into startups with one command: grow fast, dominate the market, and figure out profits later. The mantra of “blitzscaling” replaced the steady pace of sustainable business building. Influencers taught us that a personal brand could be worth more than a ledger balanced in black ink. Some succeeded spectacularly. Others flamed out just as quickly, forgotten as soon as their follower count dropped.

The Forgotten Lesson

The truth, however, never changed: a business that doesn’t make money won’t last. You can’t pay your employees with likes. You can’t cover rent with retweets. Visibility may open doors, but profitability is what keeps them from slamming shut.

What’s surprising is how many new business owners confuse attention with achievement. Yes, growth matters. Yes, social media is powerful. But growth without profit is like building a skyscraper without a foundation—it might rise fast, but it will collapse even faster.

Coming Full Circle

If history tells us anything, it’s that business cycles swing like a pendulum. The dot-com crash reminded everyone of reality in the early 2000s. And now, as interest rates rise and venture capital dries up, we’re seeing it again. Sustainable profits are making a comeback. Investors are asking harder questions. Customers are paying closer attention.

Maybe, just maybe, the new generation of entrepreneurs will rediscover what their grandparents already knew: social media is a tool, not a business model. A flashy follower count might look good on paper, but it’s steady profits that keep the lights on and the business alive.

Affordable Housing: Are We Just Talking in Circles?

 

Over the past decade, I’ve listened to a steady stream of people step forward with new ideas, new systems, and new promises to finally make housing affordable. Every conference, every convention, every magazine article, every podcast seems to showcase “the solution.” But after all the noise—have any of these efforts made a real foothold in delivering more than a token amount of real-life housing?

The federal government is now trying to step in, streamlining zoning, codes, and a host of other roadblocks that they believe stand in the way. On paper, it sounds good. In practice, it’s another layer of promises that may or may not deliver. Industry spokespeople keep repeating their lines about faster, cheaper, more efficient ways to build—but where’s the proof? Where are the neighborhoods full of truly affordable homes?

What’s Driving the Crisis—Costs or Stagnant Wages?

Part of the challenge is untangling what’s really happening. Is it that the cost of building new homes has skyrocketed, making it impossible to bring them to market at an affordable price? Or is it that household earnings have remained stagnant while home prices keep climbing? The truth is likely a mix of both—and neither side is showing signs of easing anytime soon.

A Losing Battle for Most People

For the average family, the affordability gap keeps widening. Too often, the only “affordable housing” being built is affordable in name only—units that look good on a press release but do little to dent the larger crisis. And while developers, lenders, and policymakers continue to debate what “affordable” even means, millions of people are left out of the market entirely.

Do We Need to Rethink the Definition?

Here’s a thought that may ruffle feathers: what if we simply raised the affordability benchmark? For decades, the standard has been that housing should cost no more than 30% of annual income. But maybe that ship has sailed. What if the new threshold became 40% or even 45%? Wouldn’t that satisfy both mortgage companies and government officials, giving them cover to declare progress and move on to the next big issue on their agenda?

It’s not the solution anyone wants, but at the rate we’re going, it might be the only way many people will ever own a home again.

The Hard Truth

Until someone proves that their “new way” can actually produce homes at scale—affordable homes that people can live in, not just admire in a prototype village—the battle will continue to feel like a losing one. The talk is endless, the promises keep coming, but the results are still too thin.

And the longer this cycle continues, the more likely “affordable housing” will remain little more than a talking point.

Housing at a Breaking Point: My Take on the Three Big Problems—And the Three Best Solutions

 

I’ve been reading, writing, and talking about housing for years, and one thing hasn’t changed: the lack of affordable single-family homes in this country isn’t a sudden COVID-era problem. Long before the pandemic, whitepapers, studies, and experts were sounding the alarm. What has changed is that today, the housing crisis is hitting more people, in more communities, and with more urgency.

When you stack up all those reports—whether they come from think tanks, universities, or housing advocates—you start to notice the same three themes echoing through every page. And after decades in and around construction, I agree: these are the three biggest obstacles holding us back.

The Three Big Problems

1. Zoning and Regulatory Handcuffs

Local zoning has become a straitjacket. Entire swaths of land are locked into single-family only, with strict limits on what can be built, how tall it can be, how many units can go on a lot, and how much parking must surround it. These rules were written in another era and don’t match today’s realities. They choke supply before a single foundation is poured.

2. A Supply and Demand Gap the Size of the Grand Canyon

For decades, the U.S. simply hasn’t built enough homes to keep up with population growth, household formation, and economic migration. Families and young buyers chase the few homes available, driving prices through the roof. That shortage is no longer limited to “hot markets”—it’s everywhere, from big coastal cities to small towns.

3. The Cost of Building Is Outpacing the American Paycheck

Even if zoning allowed more homes, the cost of land, labor, and materials keeps climbing. Add long permitting delays, fees, and financing hurdles, and it’s no wonder builders shy away from creating entry-level homes. Too many developments pencil out only for luxury units or rental apartments.

The Three Best Solutions

1. Reform Zoning to Match Today’s Needs

We need to loosen the grip of single-family zoning and make room for what’s often called the “missing middle”: duplexes, triplexes, small multifamily, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). We should also encourage denser housing near jobs and transit, and stop treating parking spaces as sacred ground. Without this reform, every other solution is just patchwork.

2. Streamline the Red Tape and Lower the Barriers

Time is money in construction. Cities that cut permitting delays, simplify approvals, and reduce fees see more housing built faster. Developers need predictability. By-right approvals where zoning already allows housing—and fewer discretionary hoops—would cut months or even years off project timelines.

3. Build Smarter and Faster with Offsite Construction

This is where my own experience comes in. Even if zoning is reformed and approvals are streamlined, we still face the brutal math of construction costs. Offsite construction—modular homes, panelized systems, and factory-built components—offers a way to bring costs down while improving quality and speed. Factories can build homes in controlled environments with less waste, fewer weather delays, and faster turnaround. It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s a tool we’d be foolish not to use. Combined with targeted subsidies for lower-income households and programs that preserve existing affordable homes, offsite can finally help close the gap between what families need and what’s actually being built.

Where We Go From Here

The housing crisis isn’t going to be solved by wishful thinking. It will take communities willing to update zoning, governments willing to cut red tape, and builders willing to innovate. Offsite construction isn’t just part of the solution—it may be one of the only realistic ways to add supply quickly enough to matter.

For me, the conclusion is clear: we don’t have a housing affordability problem because people want too much. We have a housing affordability problem because our systems won’t let us build enough. Until we fix that, every family priced out of a home will be living proof of a nation that knows the answers but can’t summon the will to act.

What Cracker Barrel Can Teach Us About Offsite and Modular Construction

 

Every now and then, a story from outside our industry sneaks up and taps us on the shoulder with a lesson worth learning. Case in point: Cracker Barrel. Yes, the land of rocking chairs, peg games, and “4-Star” waitresses.

Not long ago, Cracker Barrel’s CEO, Julie Felss Masino, tried to give the place a face-lift. Out went the Old Timer vibe, the cozy fireplace, and the antiques hanging from every surface. In came slicker logos and fresher looks, all aimed at pulling in a younger crowd. The problem? The people who loved Cracker Barrel didn’t want a different crowd—they wanted their crowd. Even President Trump took a shot at the new look.

I remember trying to hold a Builder Breakfast meeting in a Cracker Barrel near Lewisburg, PA. The acoustics were so bad I nearly needed a megaphone to be heard over the clatter. That was my first—and last—meeting there. Still, I kept going back with my wife for the food and the store. At least until the pandemic, when favorite menu items disappeared, the mood changed, and we decided it just wasn’t “our place” anymore.

But then, something remarkable happened. The CEO listened. She pulled the plug on the changes and went back to what Cracker Barrel always did best. When my wife and I returned recently, we walked in to find the store unchanged and the menu refreshed—more choices, fairer prices, and even some mix-and-match options. The restaurant was buzzing with happy customers, the waitresses had fuller sections, and even the tips were bigger. The cashier told me point-blank: “Ever since the boss changed her mind, we’ve been packed.”

So what does this have to do with offsite and modular construction? A lot, actually.

Too many factory owners get seduced by shiny new ideas. They change their logos, chase new markets, or revamp production lines in ways their loyal customers never asked for. They gamble on “attracting the next generation” without realizing they’re alienating the current one. Sometimes those bold moves work, but often they backfire.

The Cracker Barrel turnaround is a reminder that sometimes the smartest move is not plowing ahead with a vision everyone hates—it’s pausing, listening, and giving people the version of your company they already loved, with just enough improvement to make it better.

Factories, like restaurants, have two sides: the “store” that sells reliability and familiarity, and the “menu” that can be updated with fresh, affordable options. Ignore either one and customers walk away. Balance them, and people come back smiling, checks in hand.

So maybe the real lesson is this: Whether you’re serving biscuits or building homes, don’t forget who brought you to the dance. And if you must change, make sure your customers are still hungry for it.

CrossMod Homes: Bridging the Gap Between Manufactured and Site-Built Housing

 

What Exactly Is a CrossMod Home?

The term CrossMod was coined by the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) to describe a new breed of factory-built homes that combine the efficiency of HUD-code manufactured housing with the design features and financing eligibility of site-built homes. These homes feature permanent foundations, pitched roofs with eaves, drywall interiors, garages or porches, and upgraded energy packages—details that allow them to blend seamlessly into traditional neighborhoods. They remain manufactured homes under federal HUD code but are positioned to qualify for conventional appraisals and mortgages.

Where and Why Did They Originate?

CrossMods emerged in response to a persistent industry problem: financing and zoning hurdles for manufactured housing. While HUD-code homes have long been one of the most affordable pathways to ownership, many buyers struggled with restrictive zoning ordinances, appraisal challenges, and limited financing options.

In 2018, Fannie Mae launched MH Advantage®, and Freddie Mac followed with CHOICEHome®, both designed to extend conventional mortgage financing to HUD-code homes that met site-built-style criteria. MHI created the CrossMod brand to unite these efforts under a consumer-friendly name and to expand industry adoption.

Why Is There Pushback?

Not everyone in the housing industry is on board.

• Manufactured housing purists argue CrossMods divide the market—potentially privileging a subset of upgraded homes instead of advocating for equal treatment of all HUD-code homes under federal law.
• Cost skeptics question whether the added design requirements push prices beyond the affordability edge for the very buyers manufactured housing is meant to serve.
• Appraisal hurdles also linger: while Fannie and Freddie programs allow site-built comps, appraisers often remain cautious until more CrossMods populate neighborhoods, creating a chicken-and-egg problem.

Are They Inferior in Quality or Safety?

Quite the opposite. CrossMods are built to the same federal HUD safety and construction standards as other manufactured homes—covering durability, fire protection, and wind resistance. In fact, their enhanced site-built features raise perceived quality and, in some cases, long-term value. Studies show manufactured homes already appreciate at rates similar to site-built housing, and CrossMods are engineered to close the “stigma gap” even further.

Do They Qualify for Conventional Mortgages?

Yes—and that’s their biggest advantage.

• Fannie Mae’s MH Advantage® allows buyers to use site-built comps in appraisals when same-program comps are unavailable.
• Freddie Mac’s CHOICEHome®, recently expanded in 2025, offers parallel access to 30-year fixed-rate loans with down payments similar to traditional mortgages.

This financing flexibility can reduce barriers for buyers and increase lender confidence, something traditional manufactured housing often struggled with.

New York State’s CrossMod Pilot Program

In 2024, New York State launched the Land Bank Initiative CrossMod Pilot Program, administered through New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). The initiative partners with local land banks to deploy CrossMod homes on vacant properties, particularly in neighborhoods scarred by blight and abandonment.

The goals are clear:

• Affordability: Leverage factory-built efficiency to cut construction costs.
• Speed: Deliver homes far faster than site-built construction timelines.
• Neighborhood Fit: Use site-built features so homes blend seamlessly into surrounding communities.
• Financing Access: Ensure the finished product qualifies for conventional mortgage financing and appraisals, avoiding the second-class treatment too often given to HUD-code homes.

If successful, this pilot could become a national template, showing how CrossMods can both revitalize neighborhoods and expand affordable housing stock without triggering community resistance.

What Does the Future Hold?

The future of CrossMods will depend on three key factors:

1.    Appraisal acceptance. As more CrossMods are sold, appraisers will gain confidence in valuing them alongside site-built homes.

2.    Zoning modernization. Programs like New York’s pilot may prove CrossMods can overcome NIMBY opposition by blending in aesthetically.

3.    Industry adoption. Manufacturers, lenders, and retailers must embrace CrossMods not as a niche experiment but as a mainstream product line.

The housing affordability crisis shows no signs of easing. CrossMods—while not a cure-all—offer a bridge solution that blends affordability, quality, and financing in ways that could redefine the manufactured housing landscape.

Housing at a Breaking Point: My Take on the Three Big Problems—And the Three Best Solutions

 

I’ve been reading, writing, and talking about housing for years, and one thing hasn’t changed: the lack of affordable single-family homes in this country isn’t a sudden COVID-era problem. Long before the pandemic, whitepapers, studies, and experts were sounding the alarm. What has changed is that today, the housing crisis is hitting more people, in more communities, and with more urgency.

When you stack up all those reports—whether they come from think tanks, universities, or housing advocates—you start to notice the same three themes echoing through every page. And after decades in and around construction, I agree: these are the three biggest obstacles holding us back.

The Three Big Problems

1. Zoning and Regulatory Handcuffs

Local zoning has become a straitjacket. Entire swaths of land are locked into single-family only, with strict limits on what can be built, how tall it can be, how many units can go on a lot, and how much parking must surround it. These rules were written in another era and don’t match today’s realities. They choke supply before a single foundation is poured.

2. A Supply and Demand Gap the Size of the Grand Canyon

For decades, the U.S. simply hasn’t built enough homes to keep up with population growth, household formation, and economic migration. Families and young buyers chase the few homes available, driving prices through the roof. That shortage is no longer limited to “hot markets”—it’s everywhere, from big coastal cities to small towns.

3. The Cost of Building Is Outpacing the American Paycheck

Even if zoning allowed more homes, the cost of land, labor, and materials keeps climbing. Add long permitting delays, fees, and financing hurdles, and it’s no wonder builders shy away from creating entry-level homes. Too many developments pencil out only for luxury units or rental apartments.

---

The Three Best Solutions

1. Reform Zoning to Match Today’s Needs

We need to loosen the grip of single-family zoning and make room for what’s often called the “missing middle”: duplexes, triplexes, small multifamily, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). We should also encourage denser housing near jobs and transit, and stop treating parking spaces as sacred ground. Without this reform, every other solution is just patchwork.

2. Streamline the Red Tape and Lower the Barriers

Time is money in construction. Cities that cut permitting delays, simplify approvals, and reduce fees see more housing built faster. Developers need predictability. By-right approvals where zoning already allows housing—and fewer discretionary hoops—would cut months or even years off project timelines.

3. Build Smarter and Faster with Offsite Construction

This is where my own experience comes in. Even if zoning is reformed and approvals are streamlined, we still face the brutal math of construction costs. Offsite construction—modular homes, panelized systems, and factory-built components—offers a way to bring costs down while improving quality and speed. Factories can build homes in controlled environments with less waste, fewer weather delays, and faster turnaround. It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s a tool we’d be foolish not to use. Combined with targeted subsidies for lower-income households and programs that preserve existing affordable homes, offsite can finally help close the gap between what families need and what’s actually being built.

Where We Go From Here

The housing crisis isn’t going to be solved by wishful thinking. It will take communities willing to update zoning, governments willing to cut red tape, and builders willing to innovate. Offsite construction isn’t just part of the solution—it may be one of the only realistic ways to add supply quickly enough to matter.

For me, the conclusion is clear: we don’t have a housing affordability problem because people want too much. We have a housing affordability problem because our systems won’t let us build enough. Until we fix that, every family priced out of a home will be living proof of a nation that knows the answers but can’t summon the will to act.

Falling Forward: How Offsite Entrepreneurs Turn Failure Into Fuel

 

There’s an entrepreneurial spirit in United States that seems unmatched by any other country. I’ve often written about how many businesses fail here each year—but not nearly enough about how many people dust themselves off and start new ones. That fearless drive is especially visible in the world of Offsite construction, where dreamers try to reinvent the way we build—and sometimes stumble before they soar.

Every great company, no matter how large it becomes, begins the same way: with one person staring at a problem and thinking, “There’s a better way to do this.” It might be a plumber who’s tired of working for someone else… or an engineer who wants to build homes in a radically new way. Either way, they take the leap, knowing they could fail—but believing the reward is worth the risk.

Risk Is the Entry Fee

Starting an offsite factory isn’t just a business plan—it’s a bet on the future. It requires millions in capital, a full production team, and customers who will trust something new. That level of risk can crush even the best-prepared founders. A few years ago, Katerra burned through billions trying to reinvent construction with prefab modules, only to collapse under its own weight. But from its ashes rose dozens of talented alumni who went on to launch or power new offsite startups, armed with hard-earned lessons.

Similarly, Factory OS faced serious struggles in its early days—supply chain chaos, cost overruns, and workforce challenges—but instead of folding, they rebuilt their operations model, doubled down on training, and emerged as one of the leading modular multifamily builders in California.

Resilience Is the Real Competitive Edge

That’s the defining trait of offsite entrepreneurs: they see failure as feedback. They adapt. They rebuild. They come back stronger. These are not people who crumble under adversity—they thrive on it. Where others see an ending, they see a blueprint for version 2.0.

Betting on the Bounce Back

If I were looking to invest in someone in the offsite world, I wouldn’t just look at who’s succeeded. I’d look at who’s failed—and then fought their way back. The founders who have weathered shutdowns, financing droughts, and skeptical markets, yet keep showing up with smarter designs, better systems, and renewed passion—those are the ones who eventually change the industry.

Why This Matters

Offsite construction is still a young and volatile field, but it’s filled with people who refuse to quit. Their resilience is the engine of innovation—and every time they get back up, they push the industry closer to the breakthrough we all know it’s capable of achieving.

From Studs to Super Panels: The Wall Panel Revolution

 

Once upon a time, wall panels were a simple affair—two-by lumber, sheathing, and not much else. If you walked into an offsite factory before the year 2000, there was really just one kind of panel being made: a basic framed wall, fast and efficient, but not particularly innovative.

That world is gone. Today, wall panels have become a hotbed of innovation, with new companies and startups pushing the boundaries of what a wall can do. Factories are no longer satisfied with producing a single product line—they’re experimenting with materials, energy performance, and integrated systems that can change the way homes and buildings are designed, constructed, and lived in.

The New Panel Landscape

First came the rise of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). Combining foam insulation cores with OSB or other skins, SIPs promised faster builds, stronger walls, and impressive energy efficiency. They quickly gained traction in both residential and light commercial projects.

But the market didn’t stop there. Enter thermal barrier panels—products designed with advanced insulation layers and vapor control systems that directly address energy codes and climate zone requirements. These panels target developers, architects, and homeowners chasing net-zero performance.

Now we’re seeing the emergence of fully MEP-complete panels. Imagine walls arriving onsite not just insulated and finished, but preloaded with electrical, plumbing, and even HVAC elements. Instead of waiting for multiple trades to crawl over each other on a jobsite, the systems are embedded in the wall before the crane even sets it in place.

At the same time, the materials themselves are evolving. Lumber alternatives like mass timber composites, light-gauge steel, and even emerging concrete-hybrid panels are expanding the toolkit. Each comes with its own performance benefits, sustainability credentials, and cost considerations.

What’s Next on the Horizon?

Looking ahead, it’s not unreasonable to expect even more convergence:

• AI-driven design integration, where wall panels are engineered digitally with every duct, pipe, and stud optimized before a nail is fired.
• Carbon-neutral materials, such as bio-based insulation, hempcrete cores, or recycled composites.
• Smart panels, embedded with IoT sensors to monitor energy use, detect moisture, and provide real-time performance feedback long after installation.
• Hybrid modular systems, where wall panels are only one part of an ecosystem of pre-engineered elements designed to click together seamlessly.

For the offsite industry, the future of wall panels is not about replacing stick-built walls—it’s about surpassing them. Each step forward makes projects faster, leaner, greener, and smarter.

The big question is no longer what can a wall do? but what else should it do?