Episode 277

277 Lance Thrailkill - Innovating the Future: The Intersection of Tech and Affordable Housing

Is 3D printing the future of housing? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Lance Thrailkill — third-generation CEO of All Metals Fabricating and co-founder of Print3d Technologies. Lance shares how he’s merging AI, automation, and 3D printing to disrupt the construction industry and solve the affordable housing crisis. From scaling legacy businesses to building $100K homes faster and cheaper, this is a blueprint for SaaS founders and innovators looking to reshape entire industries.

💡 Learn how to integrate AI without replacing jobs, implement automation without losing your culture, and why “print-to-live” could be the next big thing in tech-driven housing.

Key Takeaways

00:00 – Why tech can’t just say “do it better” anymore

03:11 – Last week’s guests: Tammy Reiss and Daniel Borba

05:08 – Why leading with questions works in legacy companies

07:03 – Balancing automation with core company values

10:09 – Automation for high-mix, low-volume manufacturers

12:02 – AI isn’t replacing people — it’s making them better

15:30 – What’s wrong with how homes are built today

17:02 – A mold disaster that made it personal

19:29 – How Printed Technologies was born

22:05 – The resilience of concrete homes

24:29 – Vertical expansion: storm shelters, commercial, pods

27:23 – Home-in-a-box vision and prefab innovations

31:08 – Can 3D printing solve housing worldwide?

33:07 – Bootstrapping to VC: raising $3M with purpose

36:58 – Biggest hurdles: regulations and adoption

39:15 – Fireproof, termite-resistant, hurricane-ready homes

42:07 – Future plans: brick styles, automation, sexy prototypes

44:20 – The biggest founder lesson Lance learned

46:12 – The $100K home challenge: how they pulled it off

Tweetable Quotes

“People only buy into what they help create.” – Lance Thrailkill

“AI should help people do their jobs easier — not replace them.” – Lance Thrailkill

“We’ve been building homes the same way for 100 years. That has to change.” – Lance Thrailkill

“If you're always chasing the ideal state, you’ll never feel the wins.” – Lance Thrailkill

“Automation doesn’t remove jobs. It secures them in cyclical industries.” – Lance Thrailkill

“Affordable housing is the crisis. Technology is the solution.” – Jeff Mains

SaaS Leadership Lessons

AI is not a replacement — it’s a multiplier. Integrate tools that make your team faster, not obsolete.
Legacy companies need leadership through questions. Ask, don’t dictate. Ownership begins with inclusion.
Small wins lead to big automation. Focus on one area of improvement at a time to build momentum.
Let your team pick the tools. Empower employees to select technology — they’ll champion what they helped build.
Plan for scale from day one. A product’s simplicity determines how far and fast it can scale — especially globally.
Focus on the gain, not the gap. Founders must train their minds to see progress, not just what’s missing.