Changing the Way We Build: Cover and the Future of Home Construction
Change is constant, especially in a world as technologically advanced as ours- but not every field is progressing at the same breakneck speed. We have (almost) autonomous cars and can fling satellites into space, but most of us are still building and buying homes that are designed and made in the exact same ways they were created in the middle of the 20th century.
Cover is here to change that. They’ve developed a factory-backed construction solution that allows homeowners to create custom floorplans from a pre-engineered set of parts. Think Legos, but with insulation, electrical, and waterproofing.
Startups podcast host Kevin Blevins sat down with Craig Derian, Cover’s VP of Engineering, to talk through the passion behind the project, the engineering that has brought the idea of founders Alexis Rivas and Jemuel Joseph to life, and Cover’s vision of the future.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How Cover sells its solution to potential customers (05:55)
- The difference between tiny homes and Cover’s custom backyard homes (10:53)
- One of the most difficult installations that Cover has undertaken (18:27)
- Cover’s experience with Siemens tools (31:14)
- Cover’s future goals (32:23)
- Lessons to entrepreneurs who are just getting started (38:37)
Siemens Startups Program
At Siemens, we understand the struggles of early-stage startups. Let us remove the barriers on your startup journey by helping you transform your engineering ideas into real, marketable products with industry-leading software solutions. Join the Siemens Startups Program to grow your startup to its full potential. Want to get in touch? Reach out via our lead form.
Guest: Craig Derian, VP of Engineering
Craig Derian comes from a background in automotive engineering with Tesla- an experience that has driven his interest in creating revolutionary, highly engineered products that delight customers and combat big problems, from sustainability to the housing crisis. He is currently Vice President of Engineering at Cover.
Host: Kevin Blevins
Kevin Blevins is the Portfolio Development Executive for SMB and Startup Companies and manages the Siemens Digital Industries Software Startup Program. He works with the Siemens sales organizations as well as Siemens Partners to engage and evangelize the Siemens Startup Program in the Americas. Kevin has spent more than 35 years in the Engineering and Manufacturing software industry. Prior to this he spent seven years in the automotive design industry. Kevin has been with Siemens for 33 years. During this time, he has held positions in Technical Support, Technical Sales Support Leadership, Sales Director for the Automotive Region, Partner Sales Executive, and his current position. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI.
Cover is a technology company that designs, manufactures, and installs custom Backyard Studios. Cover’s mission is to make living in a thoughtfully designed and well-built home a reality for everyone. Using proprietary design software and a precision manufactured building system, Cover delivers exceptional design, functionality, and energy performance, in a fraction of the time of traditional custom construction. For more information, visit www.cover.build
Pioneers: Startups from Dreams to Reality
Ideas alone can’t change the world. It takes grit, and serious funding. In Pioneers, host Kevin Blevins sits down with startup founders to discuss the startup lifestyle- from concept to execution- and the big ideas that fuel these pioneers. From the future of farming to autonomous flight, there’s no frontier too far.
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