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.
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