What do billion-dollar developers really think about design — and where does lighting fit in?

In this episode, LytePOD host Sam Koerbel sits down with the COO of a luxury real-estate developer in New York City responsible for billions of dollars in projects. Together they unpack the owner’s perspective on budgets, design ambition, and risk — and what happens when lighting becomes the most misunderstood line item on the spreadsheet.

This candid, behind-the-scenes conversation reveals how developers make decisions, where designers lose trust, and what it takes to bridge the gap between creativity and construction reality.

💬 Topics covered:
• How developers evaluate risk, cost, and design value
• Why lighting often gets “value-engineered” — and how to prevent it
• The balance between aesthetics and ROI in high-end projects
• What guardrails and responsibilities do developers have
• How a developer can guarantee success on a project (spoiler alert: belief, conviction, and a team that adapts as the market changes)

Where Jamil works: https://www.ll-holding.com/

Where we recorded this: https://terminalwarehouse.nyc/

🎧 Listen now to learn what truly drives billion-dollar development decisions — and how lighting can become the differentiator, not the casualty.

(00:00:00) Setting the Stage: What Developers Value

(00:05:15) Jamil's Path: From Construction to COO

(00:11:45) Balancing Cost, Time, and Quality

(00:19:30) Building A Business Plan For New Development

(00:27:15) The Anatomy of a Construction Budget

(00:36:00) Managing Consultants and Contractors

(00:45:30) Choosing the Right Design Partners

(00:54:00) The Lighting Conversation

(01:05:40) Q&A, Sam Answers to Jamil's Questions

(01:40:30) Reflections and Gratitude