‘Architectural Entrepreneurialism’, Khizr Studio Podcast Ep.6 w/ Stephen Drew

Timeless black and white portrait of a friendly man with a warm smile.

In episode 6 of the KSP I’m honoured to be joined by my wonderful guest Stephen Drew, founder of the Architecture Social

In this incredible discussion Stephen and I talk about the business of architecture and how we as practitioners can view ourselves as ‘mini-businesses’ in our own right and place appropriate value on our time and services

A series by Khizr Studio.

0:00 – Introduction

3:29 – Why is communication important in architecture?, pitching, asking silly questions

7:00 – The story of Barry

8:30 – Entrepreneurial thinking, perception vs reality

10:07 – It’s OK to say you don’t know, entrepreneurialism

11:52 – The fear of failure

13:06 – Chasing approval, going for the ‘no’

16:46 – Stephen’s background, becoming a recruiter

18:51 – ‘Keeping things open and honest’ 19:54 – Personal brands, acting as a mini business in a big business

23:52 – Jeff Bezos, salary conversations

26:26 – The importance of understanding finance in architecture

29:52 – Taking risk, Architecture Social

31:51 – Putting worth on your work 34:57/35:43 – Parent rule 1: don’t talk to strangers!

39:09 – Jane Duncan, sales taboos

42:03 – Parent rule 2: don’t talk about money!

43:55 – Mr Beast, cutting fees vs quality

48:28 – The American Dream

49:11 – Elon Musk, what really makes you happy?, the harsh reality of being a business owner

49:58 – Do we need challenge to feel happy?, Starkitects

51:51 – Can enterprise be a conduit for projecting our philosophies and views into the world as architects?

54:30 – The costs of studying architecture

55:37 – Chaos, trust

59:29 – Ownership over your work, striving for quality

1:03:15 – The value of time, running a business

1:09:18 – Reciprocating support and adding value

1:12:51 – Summary and closing

1:14:02 – Some wise words from Stephen

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Follow the Architecture Social: www.instagram.com/architecturesocial

On LinkedIn: Architecture Social Please leave a comment to let us know what you thought of the conversation, and if there are any themes or topics you’d like to hear more of in future episodes.

The Khizr Studio Podcast is a series of conversations aimed to be accessible by architects and non-architects alike, with the purpose of widening our understanding of architecture, landscape architecture, and urbanism – and the societal, political, and economic forces that influence their design.