Ask HN: Ambitious robotics entrepreneur with failing Kickstarter. Seeking advice | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Ambitious robotics entrepreneur with failing Kickstarter. Seeking advice

10 pointspinkrobotics14 comments

Howdy HN,

My name is Tyler, I'm a robotics entrepreneur and I just started a Kickstarter that is going to fail (see www.PinkRobotics.ca). I won't blame it, anyone else or even myself for it failing. Could I do a lot better? Obviously. Will it make the difference? Probably not. Nevertheless, I still think the world needs my campaign to succeed; but there is also little I can do to make that happen.

So, I seek the often sound and level headed advice of HK et al.:

My story: I have a BSc in CS, where I focused on AI stuff, and an MSc where I published about applying AI stuff to HPC stuff. I went to a space university program and learned about space stuff. Then, I did seven years of a PhD where I tried to be ambitious but it didn't work out, so I quietly left without succeeding anymore. Then I did a year long solo motorcycle trip around Mexico, starting and ending in Canada. After, I started a robotics company to address climate change with technological solutions. I applied to YC and UBC startup programs to use large drones and other robots to help fight the locally pressing issue of wildfires. Neither organization was interested, for several understandable reasons including: I am alone, no likelihood of a short term high yield return and the societal benefit of my project wasn't considered. So, I "gave up" and applied to a dozen jobs in my area. Only to not receive any replies at all, from anyone, not even rejections. Likely a blessing though, as I have no faith in my ability to pass a technical interview at this point in my "career". So I worked for a friend doing tradeswork to the pay the bills, until covid hit and I went on gov't support. I again focused on my robotics stuff, which has led me to my Kickstarter which will likely fail in just under 6 weeks.

I see three options for myself going forward: keep up the robotics hussle until death or success, study and get a job in my area for money and respect, or get a job where I can be happy.

Advice?

I think there's potential for automated forestry to capture carbon, but the KS video doesn't really help me imagine how it would work. What would the robots actually do in the forest to capture a lot more carbon? How many different kinds of robots would it take? Can people do some of those jobs in the meantime while the robots are under development? Are there forests, even small ones, being managed this way today?

Rather than making one system to do all the forestry jobs, it's probably better to design one robot for one particular task that can save money for forestry companies. Once you have a business selling one kind of robot, expand outwards from there.

I could definitely improve the KS video and presentation a lot :)

And you are right, a likely good place for me to start, is in logging industry (forestry). Though, I was more hoping to build robots to create and maintain forests, not cut them down at scale more efficiently.

Making robots to hasten climate change may not be the right approach to solving it. Yet, the best customers I could get would be logging, mining or oil.

Tyler, it sounds like you're quite passionate about robotics and the potential for addressing wildfire issues. Firstly, nothing wrong with continuing to fund yourself through a regular job while working on your passion. Folks love to glorify the all-or-nothing dynamic but frankly, there are plenty of folks who've done side hustles in order to get their startup up and running. Have you thought about consulting in an area where your potential customers are likely to be? This path lets you build expertise and network where your robotics solution could eventually be brought into. Best part is that you develop credibility and can adapt your solution to address exactly what the market needs and reduce your risk your failure.

In a similar position as yourself, I'm in deep tech and can share similar frustrations where funding is scarce and commercialization seems far away. Having attempted to fundraise, I can say that we've been blessed to be forced to bootstrap at this stage and are slowly identifying our commercial path. Happy to help you find a market.

The good news is that you are in a hot investment area and I can probably point you in the right direction with the right investors. Firstly, how far along are you? Do you have a prototype and have you spoken to potential customers?

One program that might be suitable for you is Creative Destruction Lab, who specialize in deep tech such as robotics (https://www.creativedestructionlab.com/program/). They don't take any equity and you'd have opportunities to be mentored and invested. I'd be happy to provide an introduction.

Hi! Thank you for all the feedback.

The creative destruction lab looks really cool, and I may ask for an introduction, but, I worry that I'm am not really trying to build a business here. I don't see a product or customers in growing forests robotically. It's just a forest. And the robots are to handle the scale, they are doing nothing a low skilled worker couldn't do.

I don't see any real business opportunity outside of selling carbon credits, but there are vastly more profitable ways to use land.

But it's a reliable and feasible solution to climate change nonetheless, and something I could theoretically do with funding. So, hence Kickstarter, a place where businesses don't need to be businesses! :)

Oh, I built a rover named Henry, but I can't quite say that he is a forest planting prototype.

Have you considered non-profit or social entrepreneurship? Although you may not plan to start a business, having the same mentality could help you figure how to obtain the resources you need to bring your dream to life.

You may also want to check out Watershed Climate which is a startup in the climate change space. Sounds really interesting, decent funding already injected and good way to understand the industry: https://www.watershedclimate.com/

There are a number of farming tech related startups that would probably be interested in talking with you as your skills and interests may overlap with theirs. They occasionally post on the HN Who's Hiring thread. Hang in there!

There are various cultivating tech-related new businesses that would most likely be keen on chatting with you as your abilities and interests may cover with theirs. They every so often post on the HN Who's Hiring string. Hold tight! Wishing you a best of luck!

Perhaps try to register as a non profit organization and apply for institutional grants from foundations.

If you want to run it as a viable business, farming as other people mentioned has potential for disruption. But it might be a bit ahead of its time and more risky.

Another area that companies will pay big money for is manufacturing process automation.

Tyler,

I would get a job that to provide yourself a safety net such that you can continue your passions. It doesn't have to be all or nothing!

Well, for each hour of each day, I do need to choose to work on either one thing or another, not both. I hoped to spend the majority of my hours working towards saving our world from climate change. If I get a safety net job, the majority of my hours will be spent getting someone else rich.

Don't get me wrong. This is likely what I will need to do to pay for rent and food. I'm just not happy about it. And saddens me when I see large numbers elsewhere

I can see you're passionate about this and that's a great trait to have as an entrepreneur. I'd invite you to consider that most of life isn't linear. It's full of twists and detours but if you keep your vector pointed in the generally right direction, over time you'll end up somewhere awesome.

This image always a good reminder: https://studentaffairscollective.org/wp-content/uploads/2015...

I am in a similar position-- a full-time roboticist and an moonlighting entrepreneur on the side. My goal here is to pick up marketing and sales skills that when the right robotics business opportunity presents itself...I'm ready for it.

If there's anything I've learned by watching the string of robotics companies close shop recently, it's that business model is more important than the technology.

Don't give up!

If you'd like to chat more-- you can hit me up at kyle (AT) castalytics dot com.

Your image and words remind me of this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AD4b-52jtos&t=30m46s

Marketing and sales are the domains I am the worst at, maybe we should chat. Though, while I do foresee a market for carbon, I do not see much in the way for climate solving robots, only return is saving the world ;)

Kickstarter at: http://www.PinkRobotics.ca

Reply on news.ycombinator.com