Founder Note

Let's continue our series on Nexus Lore: the core concepts that come up again and again in this newsletter, on the Nexus podcast, in the Nexus Foundations course, in Nexus Pro gatherings, and in the community chatroom.If you want to start at the beginning, check out our white paper with all 10 parts: Nexus Lore.

> “When I ask my team to put together an energy efficiency project, it's their job to get off the energy island and go get integrated into the other c

The Oxford Dictionary defines 'Lore' as: "A body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person by word of mouth."We, the Nexus community, are a particular group. That might be the understatement of the year...

Welcome to the Nexus Pro member digest… a collection of recent highlights you shouldn’t miss.These digests are designed to save you time and allow you to catch up on the whole month. Then you can dive deeper wherever you’d like.

Since around 2015, I’ve been keeping an Evernote notebook of smart building vendors’ products. Whenever I see a new startup, an event that seems to occur on a weekly basis, I throw it on the list. When one company buys another, I update the notebook. When I see a product demonstration, I create a page in my notebook and add screenshots, capabilities, strengths, weaknesses.The list has been growing and growing—there are now 100+ vendors! And since we’re mostly focused with building optimization and performance at Nexus, this only includes a small portion of everything underneath the broad and ambiguous “smart buildings” umbrella.

> “I read a great quote last night, 'Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.'" —Louise Monger Welcome to N

I love online courses—and not just because I teach one. I'm also an avid student. With our world moving so fast, I see online courses as the best way to learn frameworks that help us make sense of all this change. Right now, I'm taking the Platform Strategy Sprint by Section4.

> “Joe Allen made this very clear business case around cognitive function that any real estate sales person with a pulse could pick up and say, 'Hey,

Last week, the Nexus Pro community came together for a subject matter expert workshop hosted by Pro member Mike Brown, Co-Founder and CEO of LogCheck, a company acquired last year by Building Engines which was then acquired by JLL. After watching it (and chatting with Mike while I was in NYC), I felt like the lessons buried in LogCheck's story should be shared more widely. They're applicable to the whole industry—even if you think maintenance is boring. Especially if you think maintenance is boring. Let's jump in.

> “The big caveat is that it's a fully vertically integrated stack, but it's composable and open." —Corey Clarke Welcome to Nexus, a newsletter

In last week's newsletter, I shared an article titled “Give it away, give it away, give it away now”. That same day, I serendipitously met the author, Rick Zullo of Equal Ventures, at a happy hour in NYC.Because I have a knack for saying awkward things at social gatherings, I told Rick the article wasn't funny (as he had hoped) but it was damn sure insightful. If you haven't read it, allow me to quickly summarize...

> “Just knowing about real estate in the real estate industry is now necessary but it's not sufficient, because fundamentally the industry is moving f

Hey friends, Greetings from NYC! I'll be doing some sightseeing while I'm here and one of the sights I was most looking forward to was... you guesse

> “Carbon neutrality is a big lift and technology is a cornerstone of that. The way we look at our assets now is from a supply and demand perspective.

Welcome to the Nexus Pro member digest… a collection of recent highlights you shouldn’t miss.These digests are designed to save you time and allow you to catch up on the whole month. Then you can dive deeper wherever you’d like.

Hey friends, Over the past few months, I've had a front row seat to an inspiring trend: there's an exodus of folks leaving big tech to focus on clima

In our Nexus Live series, we host industry-shifting conversations in front of a live audience. These sessions are education-driven, they cut through t

Welcome to Nexus, a newsletter and podcast for smart people applying smart building technology—hosted by James Dice [https://www.nexuslabs.online/jame

Hey friends, Our industry has been talking about digitizing maintenance for a few decades now. Whether we call it predictive, condition-based, data-

> “We realized that we needed to go out to tender nationally for our BMS and HVAC service contracts. We needed to transition these contracts from what

Hey friends, We have all these computers running our buildings—many panes of glass. The 'rolling chair integration'Not to mention all the software,

> “Our mission is to make the built environment people-aware. Our vision is to replace passive infrared. That, by definition, is a horizontal vision.

> This is possible. Yes, it is heroic. Yes, the timeline is now. A good climate outcome is, we do this in 15 to 20 years, a terrible climate outcome i

TL;DR: Read on to learn all about the course. We're currently closed for enrollment. To get notified when the next Cohort opens, sign up here: New

Hey changemakers, Since I sent out the news about JCI suing upstarts [https://www.nexuslabs.online/jci-sues-upstarts-nexus-newsletter-116/], I’ve re

> “By making controls simple and transparent every day and for every building, you massively increase energy efficiency without even talking about ana

Hey friends, Sometimes this newsletter is more letter and less news. Usually I'm feeding you my thoughts and reactions to today's trends. But today I

> “The fragmentation is a very real issue. I don't see it necessarily resolving anytime soon, just because of a lot of these other trends in the marke

> “I've been giving presentations on why commissioning agents should be using data analytics and commissioning since 2013. It's completely unsatisfyin

I first met David Blanch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-blanch-4170514b/] through an introduction from Jon Clarke, Head of Smart Building Technol

> “You've got control systems in the building and interesting applications up in the cloud. And then there's something in the middle and it's really g

Hey friends, Have you ever discovered a podcast and then binged on the whole archive? That feeling where you just can’t get enough? I know the Nexus

> “You're never going to fix the decarbonization challenges we have today with just data and adjusting active systems. You also have to fix the envelo

Hey friends, If you caught our series on the top six themes of 2021 [https://www.nexuslabs.online/workforce-issues-are-everywhere-nexus-newsletter-10

> “What we need is a carbon reduction plan for every existing building on the planet. And we can do that immediately." —Christopher Naismith Wel

When I was growing up, I loved road trips. Jumping in my mom’s navy blue minivan meant we were going to one of two places I loved to be: my grandparents’ house or a soccer tournament.

> “Humans are great sensors, but we're not very good at dashboarding anything. Having this IAQ data can become a change management tool and it could r

Hey gamechangers! Welcome to The Lens, a monthly-ish recurring series where I unpack the strategy and context behind the news in as few bullet points

> “Stop talking, start doing. The tools are in place. The vendors exist. The folks that understand how to bring this stuff to life exist. So start doi

Hey friends, Last year, we talked A LOT about climate tech for buildings. Today, let’s weave all of those pieces together into one cohesive, succinct

> “I like to say 'Use what your mama gave you.' Your building is already a battery. Every building is a battery." —Deepa Lounsbury Welcome to Ne

📚 An educational, non-biased, and technically-sound experience exploring the past, present, and future of the smart buildings industry. 🙌 A fun and

Hey friends, Have you noticed that when our industry talks about ESG, they’re usually talking about energy efficiency improvements? 🙋‍♂️ I’m guilty

Hey friends, Here’s where we headed and where we've been: 1. ​“Green” → ESG (and the carbon flywheel) [__GHOST_URL__/green-esg-and-the-carbon-f

Hey everyone, We've got something a little different for you today. In celebration of the end of 2021, we've pulled the top 3 episodes of the Nexus P

Hey friends, As you have probably seen in the last few newsletters, for the last six weeks of the year, we’re exploring my top trends, lessons learne

> “Real estate companies are not going to go bankrupt because they're inefficient. It's actually just a blip on the bottom line compared to much bigge

This is one of the most important pieces of content we’ve ever produced. Why? Well, first, this isn’t your average white paper. Our generous sponsor,

Here’s where we headed between now and 2022: 1. ​“Green” → ESG (and the carbon flywheel) [__GHOST_URL__/green-esg-and-the-carbon-flywheel-nexus-

> “My position is that in this space, when you're really getting systemic you need to be connecting all three (Buildings, Utilities, and Policymakers)

Hey there gamechangers, happy Wednesday! Welcome to the final Member Digest of 2021… a collection of recent highlights you shouldn’t miss. These dig

Hey friends, There are four weeks left in 2021! For the last six Nexus Newsletters, we’re exploring my top trends, lessons learned, and lightbulb mom

> “We needed an incredible sophistication at the building level, but we also need to do this in a way that is not just reliable, but also makes sense

Hey friends, There are five weeks left in 2021! For the last six Nexus Newsletters, we’re exploring my top trends, lessons learned, and lightbulb mom

> “Step one (of 3) on reducing embodied carbon emissions is to start thinking about if we have to build a building at all. So if we just stopped build

Hey friends, There are six weeks left in 2021! For these last six Nexus Newsletters, let’s explore my top trends, lessons learned, and lightbulb mome

> “You can build anything on top and change things rapidly. Because of the platform business model, there's an ecosystem, so things are continuously e

Do you ever find yourself having the same conversation over and over again? One that keeps coming up for me: Why is an overlay software platform need

> “Those that adapt and recognize what's coming will continue to live on and those who want to keep their Blockbuster stores open with videos on the s

Hey friends, After a fun week in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Realcomm | IBcon conference, I'm feeling very energized! Here are three of my highlights

Once per month, we host industry-shifting conversations in front of a live audience. These sessions are education-driven, they cut through the marketi

> “I know people have different views on what digital twins is all about. I think that if digital twins are fundamentally an integration challenge the

Hey friends, A few weeks back, we talked about avoiding carbon washing [https://www.nexuslabs.online/how-to-avoid-carbon-washing-nexus-newsletter-95/

Welcome to another Member Digest… a collection of recent highlights you shouldn’t miss. These digests are designed to save you time and allow you to

> “You hear so many arguments defending the status quo.” —Andrew Rodgers Welcome to Nexus, a newsletter and podcast for smart people applying smart b

Hey friends, During each week of our 6-week Foundations course, we host a live workshop where we explore the key concepts of each of our six modules.

> “APIs are like toothbrushes: everybody's got one but nobody wants to use anyone else's." —Michael Grant Welcome to Nexus, a newsletter and pod

> “We were lucky enough that early on we built a team that included facilities management, physical security, sustainability, and IT. And we said

> “Diversity, equity, and inclusion isn't something that can be an add on. It's not a new part of your business. It should be integrated into your bus

> “You need no more evidence than the fact that McKinsey estimates that its largest practice within three years will be sustainability to know that th

Welcome to The Lens, a monthly-ish recurring series where I unpack the strategy and context behind the news in as few bullet points as possible. For past editions, check out Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, and Vol. 5. For Volume 6, let's talk about occupancy data.

> “The system was originally built to adjust supply, to meet demand. Everything about it was built that way, the market design, the physical infrastru

> “There's this line in Hamilton, 'Let's have a drink, the four of us. Tomorrow there'll be more of us.' And when I started out in green buildi

What's the most important type of data for creating smarter buildings? I'd argue that for every type of building except data centers, it's occupancy data. Why? Here's a non-conclusive list of reasons: It helps building owners (and tenant businesses) understand how their customers are using the space, from office workers to retail customers to school students. It helps optimize the Three S's that are vital to controlling building systems and getting to full autonomy: Setpoints, Schedules, and Sequences of Operations. It helps solve for the optimal balance between the competing goals of better IAQ and lower energy use. It can help improve occupants' experience and find the right space to suit their current needs.

What's the most important type of data for creating smarter buildings?I'd argue that for every type of building except data centers, it's occupancy data.Why? Here's a non-conclusive list of reasons:

In the smart buildings industry, what brings us together is technology-driven innovation to create better experiences for human beings. We started Ne

> "When the iPhone came in, the web was already there. With building systems, it's the other way around. You had a lot of technology in buildings, the

> “I am hopeful. I feel like we're coming together around this issue in a way that I've never experienced in the past. This is something that's within

Quick announcement before we begin: Last call to join Nexus Foundations Cohort 3 [https://www.nexuslabs.online/courses/] along with 40+ other changema

Hey there gamechangers! Welcome to another Member Digest… a collection of recent highlights you shouldn’t miss. Speaking of members, there are over 3

> “There's never really been an API for buildings. And this is an impediment to every single corporation, every startup, every investor, the whole ind

Hey friends, Quick announcement before we get to this week's goodies: Tomorrow is our third Live Broadcast! As a reminder, each month we're bringing

> “The grid is starting to look a lot like the internet. These IOT devices are distributed, digital, user owned and operated nodes. They can buy from

Hey friends, We have lots to share "At the Nexus" below, so let's keep this section short and sweet this week! Did you know our Nexus Pro members ha

Hey friends, Back in April, I interviewed [__GHOST_URL__/-046-wiredscore/] WiredScore founder and CEO Arie Barendrecht about how to evaluate a buildi

> “The issue with energy efficiency is that while it may be civilization's largest collective problem, for any individual business it's like their 12t

Hey gamechangers! Welcome to The Lens, a monthly-ish recurring series where I unpack the strategy and context behind the news in as few bullet points

Hey friends, I've been feeling like a broken record lately with how often I've been uttering the engineer's favorite phrase: "it depends". So much a

> “I see of lot of people buying apps before they bought the smart phone. So our smart building strategy is to first build the smartphone foundation."

> “You built a building 25 years ago, and the stuff you put in there, it’s still there.” -Keith Berkoben of Google "For consumer facing technology,

How can software help decarbonize existing buildings?

> “>There's this real opportunity, with the technology available today, to hear directly from tenants on what they want. " —Jacinda Lofland Welc

A client once asked me to explain the competitive landscape for energy management and efficiency software. I decided to frame the conversation from t

Hey friends, A client once asked me to explain the competitive landscape for energy management and efficiency software. I decided to frame the conve

> “If you get utility rate payers to act together like a symphony and reduce their energy a little bit at these key times, that net effect is actually

"Thanks for Nexus and helping me elevate my game and gain a broader perspective on the issues we face and the solutions that may be coming, keep it up

> “So you start seeing this cross pollination, worlds colliding, the traditional digital workplace applications with the traditional smart building so

Hey friends, Last week was the most delightfully social week of work I've had since the pandemic began. I had dinner with a Nexus Foundations alum.

Hey there gamechangers, happy Friday. Welcome to another digest… a collection of highlights from June 2021 that you shouldn’t miss. This is designed

> “We take that value creation reframe and we look at it through two ROI lenses. The traditional finance lens, which is return on investment, to under