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