BoringSage

The most important lessons in robotics are the ones you learn the hard way. Around 2018, after having designed mission-critical systems for government agencies in the U.S., U.K. and Netherlands during my time at Motorola, I became deeply interested in robotics—reading voraciously, building 2WD robots, and studying ROS (Robot Operating System). During that time, I was fortunate enough to meet a few inspiring founders of a robotics startup in the Silicon Valley and decided to join this team. It didn’t take long to realize that running a robotics startup is brutally hard. We made plenty of mistakes—some avoidable, some inevitable. This book is an attempt to capture the lessons we learned that I hope will help the next-gen robotics founders, engineers, and investors save a ton of time, health, and capital. Below is a quick overview of these lessons: 1) The Long-Tail Problem in Robotics Is Unforgiving 2) LiDARs Aren’t as Robust as You Think 3) Localization: Easier Said Than Done 4) Scaling Smart: Fewer Clients, More Efficiency—Customization Is a Trap 5) Autonomy Is Just Step One—Integration Is What Matters 6) Running a Robotics Startup Feels Like Running Multiple Companies 7) Global Expansion in Robotics: The Early-Stage Trap 8) The Hardest Part? Building the Right Team 👉 If you need more context, real-world examples and practical frameworks to address each of these risk vectors, the book is now available on Amazon. Link in the comments. I hope these lessons help you navigate the toughest parts of this journey with fewer scars. Until next time - Hello Robot! #Robot

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This is what a labor shortage looks like. Hyundai is adding 30,000 humanoids. • Boston Dynamics will provide the body. • Google will add the soul. All to manufacture 3.8M cars per year. Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea already produces over 1.6M vehicles annually. It’s the largest auto factory in the world. Now they want to bring that scale to every factory they run across the globe, with humanoids. With hardware from Boston Dynamics (Atlas) and an underlying autonomy stack (LLM) powered by Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics, Hyundai plans to ramp up manufacturing across the US and beyond. And Hyundai isn’t alone. Figure AI’s humanoids are already operating at BMW’s plant in South Carolina. Tesla’s Optimus is heading to the factory floor next. In Germany, Mercedes has started deploying Apptronik's humanoids. And in China, UBTech is providing its humanoids to scale the production for BYD, Foxconn, and Audi, i.e. the next-gen of AVs. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. If you look at the trajectory of global economies, labor shortages are increasingly throttling GDP. Humanoids offer a path to break through that ceiling — helping economies achieve a state of industrial nirvana: a state where economic growth is no longer bottlenecked by any single constraint. Soon, robotics & AV skills will be as fundamental as programming and networking were in the early 2000s. Now is a great time to learn robotics the right way. 👉 Link to our book in the comments. Available now on Amazon. #Robot #Robotics

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Spoke with 5 Robotics Founders this week. Here are the bottlenecks slowing them down — and how to fix them. 1) Sales - Early Adopters / GTM Cold emails & DMs. Don't wait for intros. We got our foot in the door at a Fortune 100 enterprise through cold emails and DMs to directors of facility management. Rule of 3: 3 polite follow-ups usually do the job. Acceptance rate is 10%, but 10 strong clients is all you need if you can reach out to 100. 2) Sales - SOC & GDPR Challenges Selling half-dozen robots, get a one pager and explain how data is secured at rest and transit. Give a timeline for SOC and GDPR compliance. If you can close a big deal, getting SOC and GDPR compliance is totally possible if you partner with a trusted 3rd party entity who specializes on this front. Vanta is one of them. 3) Product - Standardized Site Connectivity Solution WiFi + Dual SIM Modem anchored to a fixed pricing model ($50/M) and procured in bulk scales across the fleet. Can confirm this model worked for a fleet of 100 robots spanning US and EU. 4) Product - Urban Transportation (Robots) Hire a local handyman on Yelp, one who can integrate a make-shift rugged lift to a Home Depot style van that you can use to ferry robots without breaking your back. Does the job. 5) Product - Site Transport (Robots) - No Parking Zones Get an XBOX controller from eBay for $15 and use it to transport robots from remote parking lots to sites in urban environments. Augments your marketing efforts. Did this in SF downtown. 6) Product - Elevator Integration Prioritize low burn solution (wireless integration combined with teleop mode). If you have a reasonably large-sized deal on hand,  integrate a robot arm. In most cases, you are better off sticking with a low burn solution here and if possible eliminating the need for elevator traversal. 7) Product - WiFi Connections & IT Teams Each custom site comes with its own WiFi flavor (certs, captive portals). Hand a one pager to IT and explain how data at rest and transit is secured in your product. Also, be specific around who has access to robots and when. That gives them peace of mind and will allow them to get direct access to WiFi without having to deal with the digital certificates and captive portal sagas. 👉 Hope this helps. If you’re facing any other bottlenecks as a founder, drop them in the comments, and I’ll cover them in the next post. #Robot #Robotics

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Founders underestimate the power of crowdfunding. It’s one of the most imp. trust vectors in robotics. Done right, it not only helps you build your runway but also a strong community of people who truly believe in your product and mission from Day 01. The latter often makes the difference. We’ve seen this work before: 1) Jibo raised $3.7M from 6,000+ backers 2) Knightscope raised $21.9M via StartEngine 3) Miso Robotics raised ~ $60M via Reg A+ crowdfunding. 4) RISE Robotics raised $5.7M on Wefunder Chp. 21 lays out a structured path to build a resilient runway from Day 01. 👉 Link in comments. Available now on Amazon. #Robot #Robotics

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Robotics is brutally hard. 99.99% of robotics startups die within the first few years of launch. Yet, every year, thousands of talented engineers and founders enter the field—often unaware of the technical, operational, and commercial risks that routinely push even well-funded teams into the so-called "valley of death". It doesn’t have to be this way. Founders and engineers don't have to suffer. Having helped build and scale robotic systems across the U.S., the U.K., and Australia—working with startups and Fortune 100 companies, and after studying the trajectories of consumer and industrial robotics startups—I’ve seen the same failure patterns emerge again and again. That’s why I wrote Decoding Robots. Now available on Amazon. This book offers a firsthand look at what it takes to build and deploy robots in real-world environments: ✅ For founders, it breaks down the core risks that derail most robotics startups and introduces a clear, step-by-step framework for managing those risks across the robotics lifecycle—from fundraising and go-to-market to operations, talent, and execution. ✅ For engineers, it offers a practical framework for developing deep professional expertise and securing a strong position within the robotics industry. If I could hand my past self a manual on Day 01 of my robotics journey, this book would be it—a collection of lessons earned at an extreme cost of time, capital, and health. If you’re building robots for the real world, this book is for you. 👉 Link to the book in the comments. #Robot #Robotics

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Robotics is brutally hard. 99.99% of robotics startups die within the first few years of launch. Yet, every year, thousands of talented engineers and founders enter the field—often unaware of the technical, operational, and commercial risks that routinely push even well-funded teams into the so-called "valley of death". It doesn’t have to be this way. Founders and engineers don't have to suffer. Having helped build and scale robotic systems across the U.S., the U.K., and Australia—working with startups and Fortune 100 companies, and after studying the trajectories of consumer and industrial robotics startups—I’ve seen the same failure patterns emerge again and again. That’s why I wrote Decoding Robots. Now available on Amazon. This book offers a firsthand look at what it takes to build and deploy robots in real-world environments: ✅ For founders, it breaks down the core risks that derail most robotics startups and introduces a clear, step-by-step framework for managing those risks across the robotics lifecycle—from fundraising and go-to-market to operations, talent, and execution. ✅ For engineers, it offers a practical framework for developing deep professional expertise and securing a strong position within the robotics industry. If I could hand my past self a manual on Day 01 of my robotics journey, this book would be it—a collection of lessons earned at an extreme cost of time, capital, and health. If you’re building robots for the real world, this book is for you. 👉 Link to the book in the comments. #Robot #Robotics

Book: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L

Spoke with 5 Robotics Founders this week. Here are the bottlenecks slowing them down — and how to fix them. 1) Sales - Early Adopters / GTM Cold emails & DMs. Don't wait for intros. We got our foot in the door at a Fortune 100 enterprise through cold emails and DMs to directors of facility management. Rule of 3: 3 polite follow-ups usually do the job. Acceptance rate is 10%, but 10 strong clients is all you need if you can reach out to 100. 2) Sales - SOC & GDPR Challenges Selling half-dozen robots, get a one pager and explain how data is secured at rest and transit. Give a timeline for SOC and GDPR compliance. If you can close a big deal, getting SOC and GDPR compliance is totally possible if you partner with a trusted 3rd party entity who specializes on this front. Vanta is one of them. 3) Product - Standardized Site Connectivity Solution WiFi + Dual SIM Modem anchored to a fixed pricing model ($50/M) and procured in bulk scales across the fleet. Can confirm this model worked for a fleet of 100 robots spanning US and EU. 4) Product - Urban Transportation (Robots) Hire a local handyman on Yelp, one who can integrate a make-shift rugged lift to a Home Depot style van that you can use to ferry robots without breaking your back. Does the job. 5) Product - Site Transport (Robots) - No Parking Zones Get an XBOX controller from eBay for $15 and use it to transport robots from remote parking lots to sites in urban environments. Augments your marketing efforts. Did this in SF downtown. 6) Product - Elevator Integration Prioritize low burn solution (wireless integration combined with teleop mode). If you have a reasonably large-sized deal on hand,  integrate a robot arm. In most cases, you are better off sticking with a low burn solution here and if possible eliminating the need for elevator traversal. 7) Product - WiFi Connections & IT Teams Each custom site comes with its own WiFi flavor (certs, captive portals). Hand a one pager to IT and explain how data at rest and transit is secured in your product. Also, be specific around who has access to robots and when. That gives them peace of mind and will allow them to get direct access to WiFi without having to deal with the digital certificates and captive portal sagas. 👉 Hope this helps. If you’re facing any other bottlenecks as a founder, drop them in the comments, and I’ll cover them in the next post. #Founder #Robot

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Founders underestimate the power of crowdfunding. It’s one of the most imp. trust vectors in robotics. Done right, it not only helps you build your runway but also a strong community of people who truly believe in your product and mission from Day 01. The latter often makes the difference. We’ve seen this work before: 1) Jibo raised $3.7M from 6,000+ backers 2) Knightscope raised $21.9M via StartEngine 3) Miso Robotics raised ~ $60M via Reg A+ crowdfunding. 4) RISE Robotics raised $5.7M on Wefunder Chp. 21 lays out a structured path to build a resilient runway from Day 01. 👉 Link in comments. Available now on Amazon. #Founder

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Spoke with 5 Robotics Founders this week. Here are the bottlenecks slowing them down — and how to fix them. 1) Sales - Early Adopters / GTM Cold emails & DMs. Don't wait for intros. We got our foot in the door at a Fortune 100 enterprise through cold emails and DMs to directors of facility management. Rule of 3: 3 polite follow-ups usually do the job. Acceptance rate is 10%, but 10 strong clients is all you need if you can reach out to 100. 2) Sales - SOC & GDPR Challenges Selling half-dozen robots, get a one pager and explain how data is secured at rest and transit. Give a timeline for SOC and GDPR compliance. If you can close a big deal, getting SOC and GDPR compliance is totally possible if you partner with a trusted 3rd party entity who specializes on this front. Vanta is one of them. 3) Product - Standardized Site Connectivity Solution WiFi + Dual SIM Modem anchored to a fixed pricing model ($50/M) and procured in bulk scales across the fleet. Can confirm this model worked for a fleet of 100 robots spanning US and EU. 4) Product - Urban Transportation (Robots) Hire a local handyman on Yelp, one who can integrate a make-shift rugged lift to a Home Depot style van that you can use to ferry robots without breaking your back. Does the job. 5) Product - Site Transport (Robots) - No Parking Zones Get an XBOX controller from eBay for $15 and use it to transport robots from remote parking lots to sites in urban environments. Augments your marketing efforts. Did this in SF downtown. 6) Product - Elevator Integration Prioritize low burn solution (wireless integration combined with teleop mode). If you have a reasonably large-sized deal on hand,  integrate a robot arm. In most cases, you are better off sticking with a low burn solution here and if possible eliminating the need for elevator traversal. 7) Product - WiFi Connections & IT Teams Each custom site comes with its own WiFi flavor (certs, captive portals). Hand a one pager to IT and explain how data at rest and transit is secured in your product. Also, be specific around who has access to robots and when. That gives them peace of mind and will allow them to get direct access to WiFi without having to deal with the digital certificates and captive portal sagas. 👉 Hope this helps. If you’re facing any other bottlenecks as a founder, drop them in the comments, and I’ll cover them in the next post. #Robot #Robotics

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Spoke with 5 Robotics Founders this week. Here are the bottlenecks slowing them down — and how to fix them. 1) Sales - Early Adopters / GTM Cold emails & DMs. Don't wait for intros. We got our foot in the door at a Fortune 100 enterprise through cold emails and DMs to directors of facility management. Rule of 3: 3 polite follow-ups usually do the job. Acceptance rate is 10%, but 10 strong clients is all you need if you can reach out to 100. 2) Sales - SOC & GDPR Challenges Selling half-dozen robots, get a one pager and explain how data is secured at rest and transit. Give a timeline for SOC and GDPR compliance. If you can close a big deal, getting SOC and GDPR compliance is totally possible if you partner with a trusted 3rd party entity who specializes on this front. Vanta is one of them. 3) Product - Standardized Site Connectivity Solution WiFi + Dual SIM Modem anchored to a fixed pricing model ($50/M) and procured in bulk scales across the fleet. Can confirm this model worked for a fleet of 100 robots spanning US and EU. 4) Product - Urban Transportation (Robots) Hire a local handyman on Yelp, one who can integrate a make-shift rugged lift to a Home Depot style van that you can use to ferry robots without breaking your back. Does the job. 5) Product - Site Transport (Robots) - No Parking Zones Get an XBOX controller from eBay for $15B and use it to transport robots from remote parking lots to sites in urban environments. Augments your marketing efforts. Did this in SF downtown. 6) Product - Elevator Integration Prioritize low burn solution (wireless integration combined with teleop mode). If you have a reasonably large-sized deal on hand,  integrate a robot arm. In most cases, you are better off sticking with a low burn solution here and if possible eliminating the need for elevator traversal. 7) Product - WiFi Connections & IT Teams Each custom site comes with its own WiFi flavor (certs, captive portals). Hand a one pager to IT and explain how data at rest and transit is secured in your product. Also, be specific around who has access to robots and when. That gives them peace of mind and will allow them to get direct access to WiFi without having to deal with the digital certificates and captive portal sagas. 👉 Hope this helps. If you’re facing any other bottlenecks as a founder, drop them in the comments, and I’ll cover them in the next post. #Robot #Robotics

Book Preview: amazon.com/dp/B0GH1NTW3L?…

Landing a Fortune 500 client can feel like winning the lottery. Until you realize what comes next. Security reviews. Compliance hurdles. Customization requests. We learned this the hard way when we pitched our product to the Global CIO of a top 5 pharma company in the world in 2020. We closed the deal—but only after navigating a full-scale obstacle course. As I started writing Decoding Robots, the lessons from that engagement resurfaced –some obvious, some that only became clear with time. I’ve tried to distill them here. Details in the book. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄: 𝗔) 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿—without SOC II / GDPR compliance, don’t bother. 𝗕) 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁—some requests are worth it, others can derail your roadmap. 𝗖) 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 — You will need to make serious decisions in real-time that can make or break a deal. 𝗗) 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 to get your product enterprise-ready—we partnered with Vanta, and they delivered deep value. 𝗘) 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲—Fortune 500 clients bring scale but move slow for valid reasons; mid-sized customers keep momentum. 𝗙) 𝗕𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴—enterprise clients carefully evaluate your supply chains for long-term security and compliance risks. Plan accordingly especially if you are into robotics. For founders chasing enterprise deals: Try to understand when to adapt and when to push back. Every "NO" will save your precious resources. 👉 Details & frameworks are covered in the book. Link in the comments. Now available on Amazon. #Robot #Robotics