Are We Missing the Real Value in Robotics? Practical Automation’s Hidden Impact

What’s the real value of robotics today? Are we missing the biggest opportunities by chasing hype? I talk with Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, CEO of Polymath Robotics, and Ilia Baranov, CTO of Polymath Robotics, about why the most impactful robotics work isn’t always the flashiest—and how their modular autonomy stack is quietly transforming industries like mining, agriculture, and logistics. You’ll like this interview if you’re interested in how robotics is actually solving labor shortages, why “boring” automation often creates the most value, and what it takes to build a sustainable robotics business in a world obsessed with viral demos. TRANSCRIPT - https://audrownashpodcast.com/episodes/23-polymath EPISODE LINKS Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, CEO & Co-Founder https://x.com/stefanesa https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanseltzaxmacher Ilia Baranov, Co-Founder & CTO https://x.com/IliaBaranov https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliabaranov Polymath Robotics https://www.polymathrobotics.com https://x.com/polymathrobots https://www.linkedin.com/company/polymath-robotics/ - Automate It podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@polymathrobotics3646 - Automate It podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lL9aEPOSYzajj21NMV9oG - Automate It podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/automate-it-a-robotics-podcast/id1652686795 PODCAST LINKS - Podcast Website: https://audrownashpodcast.com/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@audrow - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audrow-nash-podcast/id1716486786 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74jWpWiLwsasY2QHtDcl8I?si=6c92796bf9554162 TIMECODES (0:00) Start (0:12) Polymath Overview (6:55) Robotics Standards Gap (12:14) Market Reality (17:16) Labor Shortages (24:20) Cutting Mining Costs (34:00) AgTech Needs Action (43:17) Practical Autonomy (52:15) Humanoid Future (1:12:49) LLM & Coding (1:21:15) Work-Kids Balance (1:36:15) Key Takeaways