# Ep. 12: Why Robotics Teams Lose Momentum Before They Ever Ship | The Robo Success Podcast

- Show: [The Robo Success Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast)
- Published: 2026-07-14
- Length: 32m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po
- Listen: https://podcast.ausha.co/the-robo-success-podcast/ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-podcast

## Summary

Mitesh Shetty, Founder of Raprod, explains why robotics and hardware startups lose momentum due to sourcing delays and production bottlenecks. He shares his experience at Honda and Hotchkiss, noting that engineering teams often spend months finding manufacturers, a problem Raprod solves via an online marketplace matching engineers with vetted suppliers. Shetty argues that sourcing must happen in parallel with design to avoid delays, especially for low-volume, high-precision robotics, and envisions Raprod as essential infrastructure to lower the barrier to entry for physical AI companies.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=0) Introduction and Guest Background
- [3:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=191) The Sourcing Bottleneck in Hardware Development
- [6:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=384) Parallel Sourcing vs. Sequential Design
- [8:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=514) Unique Challenges for Robotics Startups
- [14:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=867) Raprod's Marketplace Model and DFM Feedback
- [20:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=1228) Supporting Small Manufacturers and Reshoring
- [23:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-07-14-ep-12-why-robotics-teams-lose-momentum-before-they-ever-ship-the-robo-success-po#t=1439) Raprod as Infrastructure for Physical AI

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Raprod (company)
- Honda (company)
- Hotchkiss (company)
- Cardinal (company)
- AWS (company)
- Amazon FBA (company)
- Humanoid (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S6E47 Brogan Miller | Being a Doula for Hardware Startups, Manufacturing in Asia, and How to Start Networking](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-21-s6e47-brogan-miller-being-a-doula-for-hardware-startups-manufacturing-in-asia-an) (Being an Engineer)
- [Julie Schulte | Parts & Hardware Tools for R&D Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-04-28-julie-schulte-parts-hardware-tools-for-r-d-engineers) (Being an Engineer)
- [Scaling Manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-09-19-scaling-manufacturing) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Matchmaking Supply and Demand for Parts Manufacturing w/ Markus Seibold](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-10-15-matchmaking-supply-and-demand-for-parts-manufacturing-w-markus-seibold) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [#037 - Disrupting with digital manufacturing, with Nick Pinkston of Plethora, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-09-13-037-disrupting-with-digital-manufacturing-with-nick-pinkston-of-plethora-usa) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## Citing this page

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