I turned 40 this year. When I look back, construction isn’t just the business I grew up in - it really shaped me.

It taught me how to lead and how to follow. It taught me that craft matters, character matters, and people matter most of all. Every scar and story on a job site has a lesson in it if you pay attention.

I wrote these 40 as a reflection - part gratitude, part reminder. Some came from mentors. Some came from mistakes. All of them are still teaching me.

The List

1. Calm, grounded, firm, fair, and supportive beats anger

2. The beginner’s mindset starts with one word: Why?

3. If you’re thinking about promotion, you’re not ready

4. Extreme autonomy - especially to fail - is the best gift you can give

5. Start at the bottom. Learn the work. Then no one can bullshit you at the top

6. Great leaders explain the why and never stop reinforcing it

7. There are boundless opportunities to cheat, lie, and steal. None are worth it

8. Let your team create, decide, and have fun. Don’t hang them out to dry

9. The ultimate compliment: She did what she said she would

10. When a team is aligned on mission and values, little can stop them. When misaligned, even good jobs struggle

11. Safety, quality, and profit all come from planning

12. Trust with owners yields profit

13. Trust what you can see with your own eyes - not just what you’re told

14. Face-to-face > phone > text > email. Email never dies. Problems are solved by talking

15. Anyone can build easy jobs. Growth comes from the hard ones

16. Great superintendents are like doctors or chefs - they’ll amaze you

17. When you win a job, study the money and specs before the plans. Where’s the money? Labor, materials, subs? Know your variables

18. If you can build and sell, you are unstoppable

19. Bad days are solved by walking the job and engaging with people

20. Things happen because people make them happen

21. Do the hardest thing first. The rest gets easier

22. Ignore the checklist, say “we got this because we’re _____ LLC,” and you’ll get your ass handed to you

23. Don’t lower your standards because someone else won’t raise theirs

24. Culture is what happens when nobody’s watching

25. Building is a craft - like painting, writing, cooking. It’s only a paycheck if you treat it that way

26. I used to get Sunday scaries. Planning on Sunday makes them vanish

27. Simple “please” and “thank you” go a long way

28. Only when I systematized everything did I find freedom

29. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care

30. The best managers know every detail that matters. Delegating and forgetting isn’t management

31. A simple compliment means the world to someone flagging traffic in 100-degree heat

32. If crews work weekends, show up. Bring cold Gatorades or hot coffee. People don’t forget

33. Seeing others is a superpower. Everyone wants to be seen

34. Some people are just difficult. If they don’t work for you, move on

35. The few times I yelled, I looked like a fool

36. Millions hate their jobs. If you don’t, be grateful

37. You don’t need a degree to be a builder

38. Who didn’t complain?

39. The best field leaders show up early and don’t make excuses

40. We’re conditioned to assume the worst. It’s never as bad as you think

Closing

Construction is a teacher that never retires. The work is humbling, and it’s endless - but that’s why it stays meaningful.

At 40, I know I’ve only scratched the surface. These lessons came from building infrastructure, but they’re really about building people, culture, and purpose. If even one of them helps you this week, then this list did its job.

P.S. This is just my 40. What’s one lesson you’d add? Hit reply - I’d love to feature a few of yours in an upcoming issue.

And if you need a little fire heading into the weekend, below is my favorite new motivational video.

Why do I love it? Because it’s about action over despair. The future is bright. Doomers never got anything done. Builders don’t wait around - they go make things happen.

In Case You Missed It:

Plan the Work, Work The Plan

11 Habits for Great Estimators

Never Miss Another Deadline: Why We Built Our Spec Review Agent

The Secret I’ve Been Keeping: Robotics Are Here

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About the Author

Tristan Wilson is the CEO and Founder of Edgevanta. We make AI agents for civil estimating. He is a 4th Generation Contractor, construction enthusiast, ultra runner, and bidding nerd. He worked his way up the ladder at Allan Myers in the Mid-Atlantic and his family’s former business Barriere Construction before starting Edgevanta in Nashville, where the company is based. Reach out to him at [email protected]