Siddharth Thakur: CEO at 19, Search and Rescue Robots, Firefighter Safety | Hard Tech Podcast #14

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Follow Paradigm Robotics here:
https://www.paradigmrobotics.tech
https://www.linkedin.com/company/paradigm-robotics/
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In this episode, we discuss:
- State-of-the-art tech for firefighters
- FireBot by Paradigm Robotics
- Other near-future, life-saving applications for robots
- Graduate vs undergraduate startup research
- Balancing college with a startup
- TechCrunch startup battlefield
- Siddharth’s meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken
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Timestamps:
0:00 : Dan Introduces Siddharth Thakur
0:55 : What modern technology keeps firefighters safe?
13:40 : Discussion of the economic and human life impact of structural fires.
18:10 : How does Siddharth’s Firebot robot work to save civilians?
20:57 : How often is there no one in a burning building that firefighters run into?
27:15 : How does the robot operate at a technical level?
32:04 : How many Firebots will be needed based on the size of a structure?
35:10 : How high of a temperature can the robot withstand?
40:05 : What other life-saving applications could the technology be used for?
45:40 : Siddharth’s background and motivation for studying
Electrical Engineering and building robots at an early age
51:10 : Discussion of building hardware startups during undergraduate vs graduate level research
54:14 : What advice would you give to other young founders trying to launch a startup while in college?
1:00:46 : Siddharth’s experience speaking at TechCrunch startup battlefield
1:03:36 : Is it more challenging to get investors for a startup while still a student?
1:05:53 : Paradigm Robotics co-founders
1:07:30 : Siddharth’s meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
1:09:44 : What does the near future look like for Paradigm Robotics?
1:14:01 : How can you reach Siddharth?
1:14:33 : Closing