All-In on the Glass Industry

A year or so back, a friend introduced me to the "All-In Podcast." If you're not familar, Apple Podcasts describes it as: “Industry veterans, degenerate gamblers and besties Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks and David Friedberg cover all things economic, tech, political, social and poker.” 

Each of the four hosts is a prominent venture capitalist (read: billionaire), bringing unique perspectives to current events, market trends, political issues and various industry insights. The hosts engage in lively discussions and debates, often sharing personal opinions and experiences. Much like Smartless, a podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, All-In started during COVID-19 as a way for friends to stay connected.  

Recently, two of the hosts, Chamath Palihapitiya and David Friedberg, took a trip to the White House. There they conducted a series of “insider” interviews, including one with U. S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Now, my intention with this overview is not to get political, but to hit on a discussion that really caught my attention about an hour into the episode regarding fixing affordability in the country. 

What is the problem and what is the solution?

When discussing potential ways to fixing affordability in the country, Bessent says, “Where is the problem and what is the solution?” To give an example, he spoke about the lack of technological changes to the home building process in the last 50-60 years. He pointed out that some of the current building codes go all the way back to the Chicago fire, suggesting that outdated regulations might be limiting innovation in the housing sector. 

Just to be clear, Bessent was talking specifically about home building and residential building codes and how we categorize housing (stick-built or modular,) but he raised an important question about innovation and whether there was something in the middle like prefabrication that could help make housing cheaper. 

Looking at the glazing industry 

Bessent’s comments got me thinking about how work, collaboration and innovation happen in our industry. In looking back over the course of time here in the glazing industry, it’s encouraging to see how much we have progressed, adapted, improved and pushed the limits of what’s possible over the years.  

Back in the early 2000s, when the International Code Council consolidated three regional codes for South, West and one for Southeast and Midwest, into a unified International Building Code, it created a framework that ensured consistency in safety, energy efficiency, structural integrity and fire protection in the country. That unified code along with efforts from designers and manufacturing companies is the reason for much of the innovation we see in glazing today. 

Constant evolution, growth and adaptation 

Even as codes and standards have become more stringent over the years, the glazing industry has kept pace—sometimes even staying ahead of the curve. Glazing manufacturers, fenestration companies, energy consultants and code experts have worked together to push the materials, technology and building science forward, not just to meet new codes but to improve performance, aesthetics and functionality.  

Take fire-rated glazing, for example. In the past, architects and builders had to choose between opaque materials like brick and concrete or bulky glazing systems to meet applicable fire-rated codes. While effective, these solutions often created confined spaces or compromised the appearance of the building. But through continuous innovation in product design, glazing companies developed fire-rated glazing systems with slimmer profiles and higher ratings, allowing designers to deliver code-required safety without sacrificing on the experience or the aesthetics. In fact, now they have options like fire-rated glass floor systems, fire-rated curtain walls and butt-glazed systems that push the design rather than limit it. 

That’s just one example. Modern advancements have led to innovation on the glazing side as well. Out in the field, glaziers are installing jumbo glass lites and using newer installation techniques to build bigger and better glazing systems. And as energy efficiency and building performance becomes important, glazing systems are doing more and checking multiple boxes at once. All of this underlines that our industry keeps evolving, proving that even in a highly regulated environment, there’s always room for progress. 

Looking ahead 

We may not all be billionaire investors, hedge fund managers or futurists, but the glass industry is shaping the future of the buildings we live in and work in every day. We’re constantly pushing forward, finding solutions and proving that innovation doesn’t have to wait decades—it’s happening right now. And that’s something worth betting on.