# Whisker/Litter-Robot: Brad Baxter

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2025-05-05
- Length: 1h 04m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter

## Summary

Brad Baxter, founder of Whisker, explains how he transitioned from an automotive engineer at Ford to creating the Litter Robot, an automated, sifting-based litter box. He details the early struggles of hand-assembling units using vacuum molding, which resulted in negative unit economics, and his pivotal decision to retool the product for injection molding to achieve profitability. Baxter also describes scaling the business through direct-to-consumer sales, leveraging influencer marketing, and eventually securing $31 million in funding from Pandera Holdings to expand operations and product lines.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=0) Introduction: Brad Baxter and Whisker
- [4:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=259) Ford Career and Consulting Background
- [12:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=754) Inventing the Litter Robot: Sifting vs. Raking
- [20:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=1203) Early Prototyping, Patents, and Manufacturing Challenges
- [33:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=2030) The 'Come to Jesus' Moment and Retooling for Injection Molding
- [48:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=2900) Scaling Growth: Marketing, Pandera Funding, and Product Expansion
- [59:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-05-whisker-litter-robot-brad-baxter#t=3564) Leadership Transition and Reflections on the Journey

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Whisker (company)
- Litter Robot (product)
- Ford (company)
- Litter Maid (product)
- Pandera Holdings (company)
- Jacob Zapke (other)

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## Citing this page

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