# What AgTech founders get wrong about ROI

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- Length: 1h 17m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/what-agtech-founders-get-wrong

## Summary

Connie Bowen, founding general partner at Farmhand Ventures, explains that agricultural automation must prioritize farm workers' needs and economic realities over pure speed. She argues that ignoring the skilled nature of farm labor and excluding workers from the design process leads to products that fail in the field, citing examples like blueberry harvesters that damage fruit. Bowen details her firm's use of redeemable equity to support companies like L5 Automation and Scout, emphasizing that founders must earn growers' trust through co-creation and addressing pre-harvest tasks like thinning.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=0) Introduction and Sponsor Read
- [2:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=152) News: A3 Robot Orders and Agility Robotics IPO
- [23:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=1426) Interview: Connie Bowen and Farmhand Ventures
- [26:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=1563) The Labor Pain Point and Farm Worker Skills
- [33:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=1982) Harvest Economics: Blueberries vs. Strawberries
- [38:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=2284) Investment Thesis: Redeemable Equity and M&A
- [43:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=2621) Due Diligence: Asking What Farm Workers Think
- [53:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=3182) Pre-Harvest Tasks and Earning Field Access
- [1:04:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=3872) Building Trust and Navigating Grower Expectations
- [1:11:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi#t=4292) Conclusion and Contact Information

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Farmhand Ventures (company)
- L5 Automation (company)
- Scout (product)
- New West Genetics (company)
- Agility Robotics (company)
- Digit (product)
- Boston Dynamics (company)
- Atlas (product)
- Tesla (company)
- Wibotic (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 69: Robots on the farm - Elizabeth Sklar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-01-19-episode-69-robots-on-the-farm-elizabeth-sklar) (Robot Talk)
- [Divya Thakur (Founder, Yardbot)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-05-06-divya-thakur-founder-yardbot) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [BONUS: Hear what Investors, Educators, and High Growth Companies have to say about the future of Robotics, Automation, and AI, Pt. 1 of 2 (brought to you by Cascadia Capital)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-06-24-bonus-hear-what-investors-educators-and-high-growth-companies-have-to-say-about) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [303: Made in Iowa: Ag Equipment, Butter Braids, and Women in Manufacturing (WiM)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-09-22-303-made-in-iowa-ag-equipment-butter-braids-and-women-in-manufacturing-wim) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [How to Solve the Technology Hesitancy Issue in Manufacturing w/ Erik Nieves](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-09-07-how-to-solve-the-technology-hesitancy-issue-in-manufacturing-w-erik-nieves) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-10-30-what-agtech-founders-get-wrong-about-roi. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Robot Report Podcast.