Get to Know Kahua: Q&A with President Brian Moore
Why should the average person care about construction project management?
From a societal perspective, our industry provides the accommodations and infrastructure that determine how we live, work and play.
- Construction industry accounts for 13% of the global GDP, and that number trends up in developing parts of the world
- There are over 100M people who rely on our industry for their livelihood, and
- A 1% improvement in productivity could result in savings of $100B annually
In addition, the construction industry accounts for 40% of the solid waste produced globally and 25-40% of both the energy consumed and the carbon emissions produced. So clearly, every opportunity to improve the productivity and efficiency in the construction industry is worthy of our attention.
If you had to describe what Kahua does to an 8-year-old, how would you describe what we do?
Kahua is like Lego® blocks. We provide a base and some examples that allow our customers to create/innovate what they want to fulfill their needs. Just like a child can use Lego® blocks to build their own dream invention.
After 2 successful companies, what drove you to continue to build the next generation project management solution?
When we transitioned the industry from LAN to Internet with Constructware in 1997, it was with brand new technology. Even though Constructware became very successful we realized there was so much more we could do to transform the industry by building a new foundation. The timing was right, given that even today most of our competitors are still using a technology stack from the ‘90’s.
Software is like building buildings. Once your foundation is in place it is very hard to change who you are 10 years later. Our experience and success presented a great opportunity for us to start from scratch and build a company that enabled the industry to innovate. Thus, Kahua was born.
Why the name Kahua?
We haven’t been the most creative when naming companies in the past! However, when we came across the term kahua, we just knew it was right. Kahua is a Hawaiian word. The literal translation means ‘platform’ or ‘foundation.’ Figuratively, kahua means a declaration of principles or policies. Since our solution offers users a solid foundation of industry-standard best practices, but also allows users to build upon it as needed, we felt like Kahua was the perfect name.
What are your three biggest accomplishments?
- My family is first and foremost, my proudest accomplishment, creating extended family memories.
- My startups, Constructware, Compliance 360, and now Kahua (story unfolding).
- Teaching kids about financial management – choices and consequences.
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Grit.
(Photo) Brian Moore at the first Kahua Beach Retreat – the best ideas get created by the water.
