3 Architecture Pros on Early Career Mistakes and Lessons Learned
Architecture experts reveal the invaluable lessons that have helped them grow their businesses
The path to career success is rarely without its challenges, but it’s those early mistakes and stumbling blocks that can build character and resilience. We asked three architecture experts on Houzz to share the three biggest mistakes they made in their early days and how it shaped their professional lives.
Mistake 2: Having clients who didn’t value our time or expertise
I’ve had two disastrous outcomes during the delivery of construction contracts in the past 16 years, which resulted in significant losses to the company. In both instances, and in retrospect, it was clear that those outcomes stemmed from the decision to work with clients who simply didn’t value our time or expertise.
As a young business owner who’d grown up outside Sydney, I wasn’t prepared for the level of greed that someone could be capable of and it rocked me to the core on both occasions.
I had two choices: either finish the project, take the financial losses, get the photography completed and move on, or terminate the contract, leave the work incomplete and go down a long and protracted legal route.
I’ve had two disastrous outcomes during the delivery of construction contracts in the past 16 years, which resulted in significant losses to the company. In both instances, and in retrospect, it was clear that those outcomes stemmed from the decision to work with clients who simply didn’t value our time or expertise.
As a young business owner who’d grown up outside Sydney, I wasn’t prepared for the level of greed that someone could be capable of and it rocked me to the core on both occasions.
I had two choices: either finish the project, take the financial losses, get the photography completed and move on, or terminate the contract, leave the work incomplete and go down a long and protracted legal route.
In both instances I made a commercial decision to accept the losses, finish the projects and use the images to market the quality of our work.
The value of our completed work has proven to have at least several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of marketing benefit in getting new projects on board, so, in the end, while it was very painful gifting a couple of crazy clients a part of their project, it was the right decision for the company.
The value of our completed work has proven to have at least several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of marketing benefit in getting new projects on board, so, in the end, while it was very painful gifting a couple of crazy clients a part of their project, it was the right decision for the company.
Mistake 3: Underestimating the importance of using the right software
About a decade ago, I decided to take on software that promised to provide an answer to almost every component of our standalone systems and processes for managing our construction project timelines and finances.
The problems with the software became apparent quickly and it was clear it was really only manageable for either solo operators or large-scale companies.
As an SME with 15 to 20 staff, the fragmented data entry and approvals processes resulted in a complete loss of transparency around the business operations and project finances.
We spent several years trying to address the issues with Band-Aid solutions, reverted to separate standalone systems and ultimately abandoned the software. The final straw was when I realised it was costing around $50 (£26.50) in staff time (after it had passed through everyone’s hands at each stage of the software processing) to purchase, approve, process, and pay for a $10 (£5.30) product.
About a decade ago, I decided to take on software that promised to provide an answer to almost every component of our standalone systems and processes for managing our construction project timelines and finances.
The problems with the software became apparent quickly and it was clear it was really only manageable for either solo operators or large-scale companies.
As an SME with 15 to 20 staff, the fragmented data entry and approvals processes resulted in a complete loss of transparency around the business operations and project finances.
We spent several years trying to address the issues with Band-Aid solutions, reverted to separate standalone systems and ultimately abandoned the software. The final straw was when I realised it was costing around $50 (£26.50) in staff time (after it had passed through everyone’s hands at each stage of the software processing) to purchase, approve, process, and pay for a $10 (£5.30) product.
What impact did these mistakes have on your career?
All three issues almost sunk the business in one way or another, and they certainly had a lasting impact on my decision-making and the direction I’ve taken the company in since.
I’ve probably hardened up quite a lot, become more thorough and focused on not just finding clients but finding clients that align with our beliefs as a company.
What did they teach you?
I don’t see these mistakes as anything other than valuable – albeit very costly – lessons. Many business owners don’t make it through events of this magnitude, and it’s little wonder that only one in 10 businesses survives the first 10 years.
If I cared only about money, then I wouldn’t have made it through. But the fact is, we don’t go to work every day just to earn an income; we go to work to make a difference to our clients’ lives, to set an example for our industry, and to have a positive impact on the broader public with respect to making sustainability and regenerative design aspirational.
All three issues almost sunk the business in one way or another, and they certainly had a lasting impact on my decision-making and the direction I’ve taken the company in since.
I’ve probably hardened up quite a lot, become more thorough and focused on not just finding clients but finding clients that align with our beliefs as a company.
What did they teach you?
I don’t see these mistakes as anything other than valuable – albeit very costly – lessons. Many business owners don’t make it through events of this magnitude, and it’s little wonder that only one in 10 businesses survives the first 10 years.
If I cared only about money, then I wouldn’t have made it through. But the fact is, we don’t go to work every day just to earn an income; we go to work to make a difference to our clients’ lives, to set an example for our industry, and to have a positive impact on the broader public with respect to making sustainability and regenerative design aspirational.
What’s your advice to others starting out?
- Every mistake is an opportunity to learn and adjust, and the lessons from the past have guided my approach to running the business.
- Have faith in yourself.
- Beware of clients who don’t value your time or expertise.
- Use the right software – do not let the software use you.
- Respect the value of time. Get paid for the time spent on projects and pay for the time your staff spend on projects, including every minute of overtime. That’s how they learn to value their own time and this in turn leads to greater efficiency and productivity that benefits our clients and their projects.
Architect Edward Dieppe, director of Dieppe Design in Sydney, Australia (right), his wife and co-director, interior designer Nora Anderson-Dieppe, and their son.
What were the three biggest mistakes you made when you started out?
Edward Dieppe says:
Mistake 1: Under-pricing
Mistake 2: Meeting after hours
Mistake 3: Not seeking out a financial advisor, bookkeeper and accountant sooner than we did
What were the three biggest mistakes you made when you started out?
Edward Dieppe says:
Mistake 1: Under-pricing
Mistake 2: Meeting after hours
Mistake 3: Not seeking out a financial advisor, bookkeeper and accountant sooner than we did
How did they change your approach?
There were a few months when we couldn’t pay ourselves. It’s hard to judge your pricing when you first start out. For us, we began the business as a team, so we couldn’t rely on another salary to keep us afloat. We wanted to take on as much work as we could because of this and therefore, after the first year, we were busy – but not breaking even.
We needed completed work for our portfolio and felt we couldn’t raise our prices until we had the work finished. In hindsight, we could have raised our prices slightly, because we were worth more, and just because you don’t have a photo doesn’t mean you aren’t good at what you do.
There were a few months when we couldn’t pay ourselves. It’s hard to judge your pricing when you first start out. For us, we began the business as a team, so we couldn’t rely on another salary to keep us afloat. We wanted to take on as much work as we could because of this and therefore, after the first year, we were busy – but not breaking even.
We needed completed work for our portfolio and felt we couldn’t raise our prices until we had the work finished. In hindsight, we could have raised our prices slightly, because we were worth more, and just because you don’t have a photo doesn’t mean you aren’t good at what you do.
We met clients after hours because we were keen to impress them and mostly they appreciated it. But for some clients, meeting after-hours soon became expected, which impacted our personal lives. This went against one of the reasons we started our own business, which was to better our work-life balance.
Although we love what we do, it’s important to have time for home, family and hobbies that are separate to work time.
It’s also important to start changing the norm. People should be allowed to take time off work to meet with architects when they want to design their new home. Before Covid, we were always asked to meet after hours. However, post-Covid, we’ve found more people are available during the day. While it’s good this is happening, it’s sad that it took a pandemic to change the norm.
Although we love what we do, it’s important to have time for home, family and hobbies that are separate to work time.
It’s also important to start changing the norm. People should be allowed to take time off work to meet with architects when they want to design their new home. Before Covid, we were always asked to meet after hours. However, post-Covid, we’ve found more people are available during the day. While it’s good this is happening, it’s sad that it took a pandemic to change the norm.
Getting a good accountant, bookkeeper and financial advisor was one of the best things we did to better our business and put our goals into place. It freed up time to really think about where we wanted the business to go and what we wanted to achieve. And it gave us the confidence of knowing what was achievable.
Architectural designer Barry Connor, principal of Barry Connor Design, New Zealand.
What were the three biggest mistakes you made when you started out?
Barry Connor says:
Mistake 1: Not going out on my own sooner
I worked for a few other firms before setting up on my own. The other jobs taught me a lot, but, in hindsight, I should have started my own business earlier.
Mistake 2: Not believing I could succeed in business on my own
The hardest thing is setting up your own business and being your own boss. It was tough, but sticking with my vision for who I wanted to become got me through.
Mistake 3: Not trusting my gut
On numerous occasions, I didn’t go with my gut feeling and listened to other people’s ‘professional’ advice instead. I’ve since learnt to trust my gut 110%.
What were the three biggest mistakes you made when you started out?
Barry Connor says:
Mistake 1: Not going out on my own sooner
I worked for a few other firms before setting up on my own. The other jobs taught me a lot, but, in hindsight, I should have started my own business earlier.
Mistake 2: Not believing I could succeed in business on my own
The hardest thing is setting up your own business and being your own boss. It was tough, but sticking with my vision for who I wanted to become got me through.
Mistake 3: Not trusting my gut
On numerous occasions, I didn’t go with my gut feeling and listened to other people’s ‘professional’ advice instead. I’ve since learnt to trust my gut 110%.
What impact did these mistakes have on your business?
- Not going out on my own was just me being nervous about not succeeding, so this was just a mental hurdle I needed to overcome. Doing good work for great clients gave me the confidence to succeed.
- I found it hard to pitch or back myself in the early days – I’d rather discount fees to get work and this devalued my contribution to certain projects.
- Not trusting my gut meant I had to deal with some tricky clients in the early days. I felt as if things wouldn’t work out at the start, but decided to carry on anyway, as I needed the job – or so I thought. These jobs tend to take way too long to resolve, so they then impact on your schedule and ultimately impact your business in a major way.
What did they teach you?
- Running your own business teaches you to be all sorts of things you never knew you could be – resilient, resourceful, focused, self-driven, motivated and diplomatic. It can be the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do (apart from seeing your first design become a reality).
- Not pitching myself well or backing myself ultimately meant that I didn’t get the jobs I wanted. So sometimes you need to pull your socks up and sell yourself – you have value and it’s worth it.
- I always go with my gut feeling now. My wife has a saying: “Hesitation means no,” so if I feel like that, then it’s a no from me.
What advice would you share with the next generation of architectural designers?
- Be curious and inquisitive; stay open to learning new things, methods and details. I find that being open to new learning and engaging with new and different materials and technologies is the thing that sets me apart in the industry.
- Learn ways to understand people. I find this aspect of my work really interesting. Being able to understand people and to know which questions to ask is imperative when you’re trying to design a space for them – it’s not just about where the TV goes, but how they want to live.
- Find new ways to challenge yourself; don’t fall into a rut with a certain style. Staying up with current trends and finding ways to create new ones is the part of my job that I enjoy the most.
Tell us…
Which early career mistakes influenced your professional life? Share your experiences in the Comments.
Which early career mistakes influenced your professional life? Share your experiences in the Comments.
What were the three biggest mistakes you made when you started out?
Clinton Cole says:
Mistake 1: Not having faith in myself
As someone who grew up in a regional town with very few connections in Sydney, I initially thought I needed a business partner who had grown up locally to bridge that gap.
After four years with that business partner, I realised it was a foolish thought. I’d brought in all the work, and my work ethic and drive to succeed were producing the quality of projects that had earned the company a reputation in a very short amount of time.
I parted ways with this partner in 2004 and started my own firm, CplusC Architectural Workshop, in early 2005.
After 16 years in business, I remain the sole director, nominated architect, licensed builder and qualified construction supervisor of CplusC.