Hardware Podcasts

Jon Hirschtick from Onshape/PTC; Favorite robotics startups of 2021

The Robot Report Podcast · 7 Oct 2021 · 1h 36m

What this episode covers

Jon Hirschtick, executive vice president at PTC and founder of SolidWorks and Onshape, discusses the evolution of product development, emphasizing the shift to cloud-based CAD and the increasing multidisciplinary nature of engineering. He highlights specific challenges for robotics developers, such as managing complex cabling, supply chain constraints, and ensuring safety in human-robot collaboration. The episode also features a segment on favorite robotics startups of 2021, including Gaddic, Skythe Robotics, and Wear Robotics.

Most relevant to

large enterprises and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
PTC, Gaddic, Skythe Robotics, Wear Robotics, High Robotics, Hello Robot, Ready Robotics, Agelox, Tevil Aerobotics, American Robotics, X and Technology, Built Robotics, Vecna Robotics, Magazino, Boston Dynamics
Products
Onshape, SolidWorks, Amazon Astro, Skydio, Stretch

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Being an Engineer · 1h 15m

    Jon Hirschtick | Founding & Developing the Solidworks and Onshape CAD Systems

    Jon Hirschtick, founder of SolidWorks and Onshape, and current Chief Evangelist at PTC, explains how he used personal funds from his time as a professional blackjack player to launch SolidWorks in 1993, targeting the gap between expensive Unix-based 3D CAD and 2D AutoCAD. He details the technical challenges of building a solid modeler on Windows and licensing Parasolid, leading to its success, and later founded Onshape to solve persistent user pain points like version control, installation failures, and file-based collaboration by creating a true cloud-native CAD and PDM system. Hirschtick discusses Onshape's features, including real-time collaboration, FeatureScript, and its subscription model, arguing that cloud-native architecture enables faster innovation and better security than legacy file-based systems.

    EDA & CAD toolsStarting a product company
    10 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 1h 15m

    S5E52 Jon Hirschtick | Founding & Developing the Solidworks and Onshape CAD Systems

    Jon Hirschtick, founder of SolidWorks and Onshape, explains how he used winnings from the MIT Blackjack Team to fund SolidWorks' early days and overcame investor skepticism by targeting the Windows PC market with a 3D CAD tool. He details the technical challenges of building a solid modeler on Windows and licensing Parasolid, then describes the user pain points with file-based CAD that inspired him to build Onshape as a cloud-native, database-driven platform. Hirschtick discusses Onshape's real-time collaboration, feature script customization, and pricing model, while offering advice on persistence and embracing failure for engineer entrepreneurs.

    EDA & CAD toolsStarting a product company
    7 chapters

  • The Builder Circle · 1h 16m

    S3 E1: Mastering Tech Adoption and The Hardware Development Workflow with Jon Hirshtick

    Jon Hirshtick, founder of SolidWorks and Onshape, discusses the evolution of hardware development tools, emphasizing that software is a tool rather than a solution. He explains how customer visits and inferring needs drove the creation of features like the feature manager and cloud-native workflows. Hirshtick advises software founders to focus on usage metrics, understand market size realistically, and avoid the gap between demo and real-world complexity. He also shares lessons from his time on the MIT blackjack team regarding failure, persistence, and team dynamics.

    EDA & CAD toolsValidation & product-market fit
    13 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 1h 16m

    BONUS: A Look Inside the 2022 A3 Business Forum

    Host Chris Luecke and co-host Jake Hall interview leaders from the 2022 A3 Business Forum, including Jeremy Dodson and Jay Korpi of NextLink Labs, who discuss cybersecurity and their work on the TV show Mr. Robot. Fady Saad of MassRobotics explains his 'startup escalator' model for helping robotics companies move from prototyping to production, while Suzy Teele of the ARM Institute highlights the RoboticsCrew.org database for workforce development. Greg Smith of Teradyne discusses the shift toward collaborative automation for small and medium-sized manufacturers, and Jim Devaprasad of Lake Superior State University talks about his pioneering robotics engineering program. Finally, Michael Sullivan of Miller Resource Group analyzes the current 'war on talent' and hiring strategies for Gen Z and Millennials.

    Hiring & workforceRobotics & autonomy
    7 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 37m

    191: The State of Robotics: Live From the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, MA

    Host Chris Luecke recaps the 2024 Robotics Summit in Boston, featuring interviews with Jonathan Hurst of Agility Robotics, Joyce Sidopoulos of MassRobotics, and Scott Sizemore of Electrocraft. The episode explores the commercialization of humanoid robots, the shift from disjointed component sourcing to integrated motion systems, and the role of accelerators in scaling early-stage robotics startups.

    Robotics & autonomyScaling production
    5 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Robot Report Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.