Framework
The Flagship Project Framework
Get a real customer project as early as possible, even before you're ready. Pain of delivering under real-world pressure produces maturity no internal roadmap ever could.
How it works
- 1Seven Sense's first commercial project came through the university network before the company was mature.
- 2It was brutal: long hours, constant bugs, customers calling because nothing worked.
- 3After fixing everything, they had a system proven to run 24/7 across three shifts in a real facility.
- 4That credibility unlocked the Series A and gave them a reference case no competitor could match.
- 5A flagship project is worth a year of internal R&D in terms of real-world robustness.
Hear it on the podcast
The Uncanny Valley Is RealListen to the episodeMore from this episode
Scale vs ControlControl creates staged stability. Scale demands adaptation under change.Infrastructure vs IntelligenceMarkers and tape are training wheels. Vision-based autonomy uses natural features.The 'Eyes and Brain' StrategyBe the critical subsystem, not the entire robot. Win by becoming the platform layer.Robustness MoatShipping early in harsh conditions forces maturity. Reliability beats demos.Social Robotics LayerIntent signaling builds trust. Human prediction and negotiation improve acceptance.Deep Tech Commercialization PathFrom university spinout to strategic acquisition — a staged funding and validation roadmap.The Tier One Supplier StrategyDon't build the whole product. Build the critical component everyone needs. Being a tier one supplier means more customers, faster defensibility, and IP that acquirers want to internalize.The Robot Intent Signaling FrameworkHuman acceptance of robots in shared spaces depends almost entirely on whether people understand what the robot is about to do. Robots that communicate intent are tolerated. Robots that don't are feared.
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