I see a lot of pitches. As an angel investor with over 200 companies in my portfolio—including Anthropic, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Hugging Face—I’ve had a front-row seat to the AI revolution. And let me tell you, the hype around humanoid robots is off the charts.
Every other founder walking through my door is pitching the next big thing in robotics. They promise a future where bipedal robots will be doing our laundry, walking our dogs, and making us coffee. They show me slick demo videos of robots doing backflips and dancing, talking up their “proprietary AI” that will supposedly solve all the hard problems.
But when I start asking the tough questions, the pitch usually falls apart.
The Demo vs. The Dirty
I remember one pitch vividly. A young, bright-eyed founder—let's call him Alex—showed me a video of his humanoid robot making a perfect cup of coffee. It was impressive. The robot picked up the mug, placed it under the machine, pressed the button, and even added a splash of milk.
Alex was beaming.
Then I asked him a simple question: “What happens if you move the coffee machine one inch to the left?”
His smile vanished. “Well,” he stammered, “we’d have to recalibrate the robot’s arm.”
“And what if the mug is a different size?” I pressed.
“We’d have to update the object recognition model,” he admitted.
That’s the problem in a nutshell. Most founders are obsessed with the demo—the perfectly choreographed performance in a controlled lab. They completely ignore the dirty—the messy, unpredictable reality of the real world.
The Small Stuff Is the Big Stuff
The truth is, building a robot that can walk and talk is becoming the easy part. The hard part, the part that really matters, is getting them to interact with the world reliably. It’s the small stuff that turns out to be the big stuff.
Think about what you do with your hands every day. You tie your shoes. You open a door. You pick up a pen. Each task requires an incredible amount of dexterity, force control, and real-time adaptation. You’re constantly making tiny adjustments based on what you see and feel.
Now, try programming a robot to do that. It’s a monumental challenge. As one Quanta Magazine article correctly pointed out, even the most advanced robots in the world still struggle with something as basic as opening a door. Why? Because they lack the sophisticated sense of touch and force feedback that we humans take for granted.
The Unsexy Truth
Most founders in the humanoid space are chasing sexy, headline-grabbing applications. They want to build Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons. But the real money, and the real impact, will be made in the unsexy, behind-the-scenes work.
I’m talking about warehouses, factories, and logistics. These are environments still heavily reliant on human labor, and they are ripe for automation. You don’t need a robot that can do a backflip to work in a warehouse. You need a robot that can pick up a box and put it on a shelf. Over and over again. Without fail.
This is where companies like Figure AI are getting it right. They aren’t trying to build a general-purpose robot that can do everything. They are focused on a specific niche: automating manual labor in warehouses. They are pouring all their resources into solving the hard problems of manipulation and force control for that specific environment.
I was an early investor in a company that developed a robotic arm for a manufacturing plant. The task was simple: pick up a delicate piece of glass, inspect it for defects, and place it in a specific location. It sounds easy, but it took us months to get it right. We had to fine-tune the robot’s grip, speed, and trajectory to a thousandth of an inch. But once we did, that robot could do the job faster and more accurately than any human.
My Advice to Founders: Stop Chasing the Hype
So, if you’re a founder passionate about humanoid robots, my advice is this: stop chasing the hype. Don’t try to build C-3PO.
Find a real-world problem that a robot can solve and focus on solving it better than anyone else.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Focus on a niche. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Find a specific industry or application where a robot can provide immediate, tangible value.
- Solve a hard, physical problem. Don’t just build a robot that can walk and talk. Focus on the hard problems of manipulation, force control, and real-world interaction.
- Get your hands dirty. Get your robot out of the lab and into the real world. Test it in a messy, unpredictable environment. That’s where the real learning happens.
The road to building a successful robotics company is long and difficult. There will be setbacks. But for the founders who are willing to put in the work and focus on solving real problems, the rewards will be immense. The future of humanoid robots isn't about flashy demos; it's about creating real value in the real world. And that’s a future I’m excited to invest in.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
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.
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.