Stop Waiting for Projects to Find You

Business development for architects starts with a hard truth: good design alone will not keep projects coming. Tim Derrington, founding principal of Austin-based Derrington Building Studio, joins Mark R. LePage to share how he learned that lesson. After launching his firm in 2011, Tim built a practice through small projects, personal connections, and repeat clients.

However, his next stage of growth required a shift from waiting for opportunities to actively creating them. He shares how reaching out to brokers, making uncomfortable phone calls, and following up are helping him build new relationships. Along the way, Tim explains why reducing friction, owning mistakes, and bringing solutions to clients builds lasting trust.

The conversation also explores how clear principles help a small team work with greater freedom and confidence. Plus, Tim shares how he uses Claude to uncover overlooked contacts and revive missed opportunities.

This week at EntreArchitect Podcast, Stop Waiting for Projects to Find You with Tim Derrington.

Learn more about Tim at Derrington Building Studio, and connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.⁠

Referenced in This Episode

Want to hear Tim share his journey and how partnering with WeCollabify is helping him expand his team? Watch the Ask the Architect Anything replay inside the EntreArchitect Network membership to hear his conversation about growing a small architecture practice.

Not a member? Join free for 30 days to watch this conversation and explore the community.

Please Visit Our Platform Sponsors

WoodWorks provides free resources for architects and building professionals working on light frame and mass timber projects. Find technical papers, design guides, continuing education, and tools covering everything from building codes and structural design to acoustics, cost, and construction—plus free one-on-one assistance from a WoodWorks technical expert on your project. If you're considering wood for an upcoming project or working through a design challenge, start with WoodWorks.org and tell them EntreArchitect sent you.

InPro helps architects create buildings that stand up to everyday wear without compromising the design vision. As a trusted partner and single-source supplier, they make it easier to specify products that protect both your projects and your reputation. Learn more at InPro.com and tell them EntreArchitect sent you.

ARCAT is a third-generation family-owned business and an EntreArchitect partner for more than a decade. Researching a building product shouldn't mean digging through manufacturer websites—ARCAT brings product information, CSI specifications, CAD details, BIM content, and sustainability documentation together in one place, so you can evaluate products and get them specified fast. It's free for architects: no subscription, no paywall, no email required. Make it part of your firm's workflow at ARCAT.com.

WeCollabify helps small firms expand capacity without adding more overhead—through their approach they call "insourcing." They help you build a dedicated team that becomes part of your firm, working within your systems, your standards, and your culture. If you're turning away work, struggling to find the right people, or spending too much of your own time on work someone else could be doing, visit WeCollabify.com/EntreArchitect and start the conversation today.

Visit our Platform Sponsors today and thank them for supporting YOU... The EntreArchitect Community of small firm architects.

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör EntreArchitect // Gābl Media. Innehållet i podden är skapat av EntreArchitect // Gābl Media och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.