Why I'm Looking Beyond Tesla Optimus for the Next Big Breakthrough

Published 2024-04-13 · Updated 2026-04-04 · 8 min read · Robotics and Physical AI · By Sahin Boydas

A closer look at the technologies and trends that I believe will truly shape the future.

I almost gave up on why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the entirely. Then something clicked that changed my whole approach.

A closer look at the technologies and trends that I believe will truly shape the future.

The Counterintuitive Truth

Here's what surprised me most about why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the: the best practitioners do less, not more.

When I was building MovieLaLa, we tried to do everything at once. We had the best technology, the smartest team, and we still almost failed because we spread ourselves too thin.

The lesson I took from that experience, and from watching hundreds of other companies, is that the best solutions are often the simplest ones. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.

Why Most Approaches Fail

Let me be direct: about 70% of the approaches I see to why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the are fundamentally flawed. Not slightly off. Fundamentally flawed.

The root cause is usually one of three things:

  • Copying what big companies do without understanding why they do it. What works for Google doesn't work for a 10-person startup.
  • Over-engineering the solution when a simple approach would work better. I've seen teams spend six months building something that could have been done in two weeks.
  • Ignoring the human element. Technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it is where the real challenge lives.

The Numbers Don't Lie

I've tracked the performance of companies in my portfolio that take why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the seriously versus those that don't. The difference is stark.

Companies that invest early in why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the see, on average, 2-3x better outcomes within 18 months. That's not a small edge. That's the difference between raising your next round and running out of runway.

One of my portfolio companies went from struggling to profitable in under a year after they finally got serious about this. The founder told me later that they wished they'd started sooner.

This connects to broader themes around Figure AI, humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, warehouse robots, drone AI that I've been thinking about a lot lately.

Wrapping Up

I've shared a lot here, and I know it can feel overwhelming. But here's the thing about why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the: you don't need to get everything right on day one. You just need to get started and keep improving.

The founders in my portfolio who excel at why i'm looking beyond tesla optimus for the share one trait: they're relentlessly practical. They don't chase perfection. They chase progress.

That's the mindset I'd encourage you to adopt. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. And keep pushing forward.

As always, I'm rooting for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most common pushback you get on this?

People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.

How has this view evolved over time?

My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.

How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?

Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.

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