Ep 310: Kat Gordienko, Co-founder & CEO, Builty

In Episode 310 of the FNO: InsureTech Podcast, co-host David Prejeant sits down with Kat Gordienko, Co-founder and CEO of Builty, to explore one of the most overlooked and underutilized data sources in insurance: building permits. What began as a personal home improvement project during the pandemic ultimately sparked the creation of a company focused on transforming fragmented permit records into actionable intelligence for insurers.  Kat shares her journey from analyzing streaming data at Netflix to tackling the complex world of permit data, where information is scattered across more than 20,000 jurisdictions, filled with inconsistencies, abbreviations, and unstructured records. She explains how Builty uses AI and proprietary data models to normalize this information and turn it into meaningful risk insights for underwriting, claims, and property intelligence.  The conversation explores how permit data can reveal information that traditional property data sources often miss, including electrical upgrades, plumbing improvements, fire protection systems, and commercial property modifications. Kat also discusses how Builty is working with insurers, leveraging NVIDIA's Inception program, and uncovering new ways permit data can help carriers better understand future risks before they appear in claims history.  Along the way, David and Kat dive into some of the most unusual building permits ever filed, including catios, residential helipads, falconries, and fur storage facilities, proving that permit data can be both insightful and entertaining.  Key Highlights [07:00] Meet Kat Gordienko and Builty Kat shares her background in data analytics at Netflix and explains how building an ADU project during the pandemic led her to discover the untapped value hidden inside building permit records. [09:00] The Discovery That Started It All After completing a major property improvement project, Kat realized her insurance coverage had not automatically reflected the changes, revealing a gap that ultimately inspired Builty. [11:00] Why Permit Data Is So Difficult A deep dive into the challenges of working with permit records across thousands of jurisdictions, each with different formats, terminology, and standards. [12:00] Teaching AI to Understand Permits Kat explains why off the shelf AI models struggle with permit data and how Builty built specialized systems capable of understanding permit specific language and context.  [14:00] Learning Insurance from Scratch How Kat and her co-founder immersed themselves in the insurance ecosystem through carrier conversations, customer feedback, and industry accelerator programs.  [15:00] Turning Data Into Risk Scores Why clean data is only the starting point and how Builty transforms permit records into practical risk scores for insurers.  [16:00] Unexpected Commercial Insurance Applications How insurers are using permit data to uncover insights about commercial properties, fire protection systems, and other hidden characteristics.  [17:00] The Fire Protection Data Gap Why information about sprinklers, fire doors, and other mitigation systems is often difficult to find and how permit records help close that gap.  [18:00] Looking Beyond Aerial Imagery While aerial imagery can assess roofs and exterior conditions, permit data reveals what's happening inside a property's electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems. [19:00] Building AI Before the AI Boom Kat discusses Builty's early investment in custom language models and how recent advances in AI have accelerated their ability to process permit data at scale.  [22:00] The Wildest Permits Ever Filed From catios and private helipads to falconries and fur storage facilities, Kat shares some of the most memorable permits her team has uncovered.  [24:00] What Underwriters Might Be Missing How permit data can reveal commercial kitchens, specialty structures, and other risk factors that may not appear in underwriting applications. [26:00] Accelerating With NVIDIA Kat explains how participation in NVIDIA's Inception program is helping Builty improve speed, efficiency, and scalability across its AI models.  [28:00] Expanding Across Insurance A look at Builty's growing carrier relationships and the potential applications of permit intelligence across underwriting, claims, and reinsurance.  [29:00] Predicting Tomorrow's Risks Today Kat shares research exploring whether homes located near data centers experience increased HVAC replacement rates, highlighting the predictive potential of permit data. [ [32:00] The Future of Property Intelligence Why Kat believes permit data should become a standard component of insurance and real estate decision making, helping identify risks before losses occur.  [35:00] Advice for InsurTech Founders Kat shares lessons learned from building Builty, including the importance of finding one meaningful problem, proving value quickly, and earning trust inside the insurance industry.  [36:00] Go Narrow, Then Go Deep The story of Builty's evolution from an ADU marketplace concept into a permit intelligence platform, and why narrowing the focus ultimately created a bigger opportunity.