Sam Newell

Sam Newell, founder and managing director of Build Interiors, tells the story of launching a fit-out company at 27 with a 2-month-old son and no safety net. Originally from England, Sam dropped out of university after his step-dad handed him steel caps and told him to get out of the car and go get a job. His career ran from Dempsey Wood labourer through residential building, a furniture company, fit-out companies including Sky City work, and Datum, before launching Build Interiors in February 2023 with a single 14-day project. The conversation hits hard on tall poppy syndrome (competitors calling designers to badmouth him, his response: if they are talking about you, you are in their head, they have already lost), the role of grit and will as the true differentiator in business, and the power of offshore services. Andy reveals he has planners in Malaysia, Aaron Dempsey at IM Electrical runs 25 QSs in the Philippines, and Build has an estimator in Vietnam. Sam advocates for circle collaboration over the traditional adversarial triangle, client, designer, and builder should work together, not against each other.

Key Topics Discussed

• Entrepreneurship at 27. Sam launched Build Interiors in February 2023 with his son only 2 months old. His first project was a single 14-day fit-out. Building a company from nothing with maximum personal stakes.
• Grit and will as the differentiator. "Most businesses go under not because of bad ideas but because they don't have the grit." Technical skill and good ideas are table stakes, the willingness to endure, persist, and push through setbacks is what separates businesses that survive from those that fold.
• Tall poppy syndrome. Competitors called designers directly, telling them not to work with Sam. His response: "If they're talking about you, you're in their head, they've already lost." The NZ and construction industry habit of cutting down anyone who stands out rather than competing on merit.
• Offshore services. Andy has planners in Malaysia. Aaron Dempsey at IM Electrical runs 25 QSs in the Philippines. Build Interiors has an estimator in Vietnam. Offshore resourcing is increasingly mainstream for NZ construction businesses across planning, quantity surveying, and estimating.
• Circle vs triangle collaboration. The traditional construction model is adversarial, client, designer, and builder each defending their corner of a triangle. Sam advocates for a circle model where all three work collaboratively toward the same outcome. The shape matters because it changes the dynamic from opposition to partnership.
• Career from the ground up. Step-dad gave him steel caps: "Get the fuck out of the car and go get a job." From Dempsey Wood labourer to residential building, furniture company, fit-out companies (Sky City), Datum, and then Build Interiors. Every step built capability and networks.

Notable Quotes

• Step-dad's advice: "Get the fuck out of the car and go get a job.", handed him steel caps.
• "Most businesses go under not because of bad ideas but because they don't have the grit."
• On tall poppy syndrome: "If they're talking about you, you're in their head, they've already lost."
• On collaboration: client-designer-builder should work as a circle, not a triangle.

Guest Background

Sam Newell is the founder and managing director of Build Interiors, a fit-out company. He is 27 years old, originally from England. He dropped out of university and entered construction after his step-dad gave him steel caps and told him to go get a job. His career progressed from Dempsey Wood labourer through residential building, a furniture company, fit-out companies (including Sky City projects), and Datum before launching Build Interiors in February 2023. He started the business with a single 14-day project while his son was 2 months old. He is an advocate for grit over talent, circle collaboration over adversarial contracting, and has survived deliberate tall poppy syndrome attacks from competitors.