Decoding Robots: How to Build and Launch Robots in the Real World

by Prathamesh Khedekar

Book Overview

A majority of robotics companies fail within the first few years of launch. The failure rate in this sector remains exceptionally high, yet each year thousands of talented engineers and founders enter the field, often unaware of the technical, operational, and commercial risks that can push even well-funded teams into the so-called “valley of death.”

This book captures those lessons for the next generation of robotics founders, engineers, and investors—people who are brave enough to build robots for the real world. Drawing on hands-on experience building and scaling robotic systems across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, working with startups and Fortune 100 clients, the author offers a firsthand look at what it takes to build and deploy robots in real-world environments.

From engineering to sales, and from marketing to field operations, the book examines the core risks that derail most robotics companies and the lessons learned in practice. Readers will also learn how companies such as Amazon, Boston Dynamics, and Tesla approach many of these risks when bringing modern robots and humanoids to life at scale.

Beyond field lessons and case studies, the author introduces a structured, step-by-step framework for managing these risks across the robotics lifecycle. For founders, the framework provides concrete guidance on fundraising, go-to-market execution, operations, engineering leadership, and talent building. For engineers, it offers a structured path for developing deep professional expertise and securing a strong position within the robotics industry.

About the Author

Prathamesh Khedekar is the founder of Boring Sage, an ed-tech company focused on bringing deep professional expertise in emerging technologies to engineers and founders. He has built mission-critical systems for the governments of the U.S., U.K., Norway, and the Netherlands, and autonomous robotic systems for Fortune 100 companies globally. An Einstein Visa recipient, his work has been featured in The San Diego Union-Tribune, Security Magazine, and American Banker. He writes and teaches at the intersection of emerging technologies and business applications, helping founders and engineers bring next-generation products to life.

382 pages, Hardcover

Published February 4, 2026

About the author

Prathamesh Khedekar is the founder of Boring Sage, an ed-tech company focused on bringing deep professional expertise in emerging technologies to engineers and founders. He has built mission-critical systems for the governments of the U.S., U.K., Norway, and the Netherlands, and autonomous robotic systems for Fortune 100 companies globally. An Einstein Visa recipient, his work has been featured in The San Diego Union-Tribune, Security Magazine, and American Banker. He writes and teaches at the intersection of emerging technologies and business applications, helping founders and engineers bring next-generation products to life.

Reviews

[Jake Stelman]

I have spent the last 7 years as a founder of a robotics startup and I found much of this book very relatable. It effectively addresses the real challenges involved in building robotics companies, covering not just the technical aspects but also the entrepreneurial and management challenges that are often underestimated. Many of its lessons reflect my own experiences. I appreciate how Prathamesh managed to condense a wealth of valuable insights into a fairly concise book without making it feel too theoretical or academic. The book offers practical guidance that would be invaluable for engineers interested in entering the robotics field and for founders working to establish robotics businesses. It is filled with practical, grounded advice from someone who understands the industry.

[Steven Waslander]

An interesting a varied tour through some rather exciting startups and major players trying to decode what it takes to get robots to work not only in real world settings but as a viable, marketable product. There were many fascinating stories about security robotics in the 2010s, about the impressive fleet or robots driving Amazon warehouse productivity and some forward looking chapters on things like the ongoing humanoid revolution. I did find many of the architecture descriptions for the autonomy stacks of different robots a bit bland and highlevel, but I am a robotics professor doing research in autonomous driving for the last 15 years, and so am well versed in these concepts. They were probably quite interesting for less experienced practitioners. A worthwhile read, all in all.

[Conor McGinn]

Decoding Robots is a must-read for anyone thinking about a career in robotics or building a startup in the space.

It’s like “What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School” but for robotics. Instead of theory, it’s all about real-world lessons from actually deploying robots, what works, what doesn’t, and everything that goes in between.

What I liked most is that it captures a lot of hard-earned wisdom that’s genuinely difficult to pick up any other way. As someone who’s spent more than 15 years in robotics across research and industry, I can say that distilling this kind of insight is no easy task, and a huge credit to Prathamesh for making it so accessible.

[Sebastian]

A clear set of actionable lessons on what to do and not to do to launch a robotics startup with some very insightful lessons. Quick to read and useful deep insights.

The writing is brief and no-nonsense which I enjoyed. Instead of expanding a lesson into a large chapter things are kept to the point.

For me the robot specific chapters (~11-16?) were maybe not the most useful since they are a bit too high-level to have very specific insights but maybe for some readers they might get some benefits.

Some specific lessons on systems thinking and which team to hire stood out at the end also as beginning very useful.

[Emerson Standish]

I’m working through this one as someone in the robotics and physical AI space, and Chapter 10 is what sold me on it.

If you’re building in robotics or just trying to understand where humanoids are headed, it’s a solid, practical read. Recommend it.

[Gagan]

Wonderful encyclopedia for anyone interested in delving into the world of robotics. Extremely thorough and the concepts are easy to grasp. 10/10 would recommend.

[Pedro Milcent]

For anyone working in robotics, this is a must read. It offers great insights into what makes a robotics company work, with practical examples from the field.