The Real Reason Some Robots Don’t Succeed

In this clip from Automated with Brian Heater, Helen Greiner—co-founder of iRobot and pioneer behind the Roomba—breaks down one of the harshest truths in robotics: even a robot that works flawlessly can fail if the market isn’t ready.

She shares lessons from shutting down a weeding robot despite strong performance, explains why product-market fit outweighs “cool design,” and reflects on why Roomba hit the mainstream while other innovations didn’t.