Development Insight - EP 54

Development Insight - EP 54

From Sam Black Sessions by Sam Black

May 27, 2026 · 19 min

About this episode

Ryan Houston and Sam Black discuss common mistakes developers make when underestimating projects and the importance of risk management.

In this episode of Development Insight, Ryan Houston and Sam Black unpack the biggest mistakes developers make when underestimating a project. From build costs blowing out, hidden site costs, and builder variations, through to delays killing profit margins and poor sales strategies hurting the backend — they break down the real risks developers face. They also dive into the importance of early contractor involvement, having the right team around you, sticking to a 20% risk margin, and why buying the site right is everything in development.

People in this episode

Host: Sam Black

Guest: Ryan Houston

Topics covered

  • development mistakes
  • project estimation
  • contractor involvement
  • risk management
  • profit margins

Keywords

  • development
  • project estimation
  • contractor involvement
  • profit margins
  • risk management

More episodes of Sam Black Sessions

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Sam Black Sessions podcast page.