I’ve spent more than five decades in the building automation industry. I’ve seen computers go from the size of refrigerators to the size of a chip in your pocket. I’ve gone from calibrating brass pneumatic thermostats to prompting AI.
People ask what the “secret” is to staying relevant for half a century.
It’s simple: I’m a bumblebee. 🐝
Early on, I realized my greatest value was “cross-pollination”—carrying the wisdom from one meeting to the next, connecting people solving the same dragons, and gathering “honey” along the way.
But I didn’t do it alone. I am the sum of my mentors. And today, the mentorship cycle has changed.
We need the younger generation to mentor us on the “how” of AI and rapid tech shifts. In return, they need us to explain the “why” and the complexity of the buildings we’ve spent our lives in.
I’ve put together a Mentorship Manifesto for our industry family. It’s built on three things:
- Reciprocity: We teach the complexity; they teach the tools.
- The Bumblebee Mandate: Innovation dies in silos. Share your honey.
- Trust: It’s the only currency that actually matters.
If you aren’t a mentor yet, put it on your agenda. It’s the greatest experience you’ll ever have.
AI can analyze the death out of what we’ve written, but it can’t think. If we want to change the future, we have to write it ourselves—in our own words.
Join the conversation at AutomatedBuildings.com. Let’s document the journey together.
#BuildingAutomation #Mentorship #AHR2026 #PropTech #DigitalTwin #IndustryWisdom
About the Author
Ken Sinclair is a self-described “technology junkie” and a 55-year veteran of the building automation industry. From his early days calibrating brass pneumatic thermostats and “hacking” sensors for the first-ever DDC systems, Ken has dedicated his career to the evolution of smart buildings.
In 1999, he founded AutomatedBuildings.com, which has served for over 25 years as the industry’s leading self-publication platform and a “Who’s Who” of building innovation. Whether he is presenting at the AHR Expo (a tradition now in its 27th year) or exploring the potential of the latest “Digital Twin” and AI technologies, Ken remains a passionate advocate for cross-pollination.
Ken continues to act as an industry “bumblebee”—gathering wisdom from the veterans and fresh ideas from the next generation to ensure the future of building automation is written by the people making it happen.
