Almost one year ago, I embarked a journey to develop the world’s first $1000 full-scale, general purpose humanoid robot, the Limboid. I had no idea what I was getting myself into: mechanical engineering, hydraulics, electronics, software, AI, pitching, raising (and losing!) money, global sourcing and logistics, etc. etc. I had next to zero idea how to do most of these things. But I did them anyway. I learned. I failed. And then I learned some more, failed some more, and learned even more. But I kept going because I believed I was doing something that mattered, something that could touch the lives of billions.

Admittedly, I was naive: Naive to think I could do it all myself; naive to think I could do it all in one year; that I could do it all with 6 month’s bootstrapped savings from my first SwE out of college; with no team; little experience; no network; no makespace; no resources; no nothing.

Currently, there are several fundamental challenges with the hydraulic system that I haven’t been able to solve. As a result, I’ve decided to put the effort on hold. I’m not giving up; it’s more like a break where I can reflect, explore, and recharge.

Sometimes I wonder if I was just crazy for even trying, and sure, I’d say so. But I’d also say that I’m glad I did. Glad I tried. Glad I failed. Glad I learned. Glad I grew. I’ll take this experience with me for the rest of my life. Whether I’m working with a startup or a Fortune 500, I want to let it inform my perception, communication, and decisions. When we’re facing a problem, I want to share the the lessons I’ve learned to be able to say “I’ve been there. I’ve done that. Here’s what worked. Here’s what didn’t. And based on that, here’s what we might try now.”

To all the people who have encouraged me along the way, thank you. While I may not have been able to accomplish what I set out to do, I hope to carry the encouragement and support you’ve given me forward. I am grateful for each and every one of you. I’d especially like to thank Debra Morgan, Simon Day, Chelsea Seeds, Melinda Chu, Abhishek Pandir, Arkajyoti Chakraborty, Harsh Raj, and Joseph Moti for taking the time to advise me on various business and technical areas.

What’s next? I’m excited to find out! I’m confident that whatever it is, it will be something that matters – and probabbly something involving AI, robotics, or both. If you’re interested in working together, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.