Iguanas falling out of trees onto self-driving cars? For Matt Puchalski, this wasn’t just an odd occurrence—it was a real challenge he and the team at Argo faced when these frozen reptiles disrupted the sensors on expensive autonomous vehicles.

On this episode of The Venture Podcast, James and Bryce sit down with Matt Puchalski, the co-founder of Bucket Robotics. Today, Matt is in San Francisco, building his own robotics startup after an impressive summer at Y Combinator as a new venture partner at PioneerFund.

At Bucket Robotics, Matt is transforming how manufacturing detects defects by leveraging cutting-edge robotics and computer vision. Instead of relying on slow, manual quality assurance processes, Bucket Robotics uses synthetic data and advanced AI to inspect complex 3D parts with unmatched precision. What started as a simple idea during Y Combinator—building smarter vision systems—has evolved into a solution that’s helping manufacturers save time, improve accuracy, and optimize QA in numerous manufacturing processes.

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation with Matt:

1. Kindness and Intellectual Humility as Leadership Traits:

Matt attributes much of his success to being kind, listening well, and staying curious. These qualities have helped him build strong relationships, foster trust, and navigate the uncertainties of entrepreneurship with resilience and optimism.

2. Adaptability and Problem-Solving in Robotics:

Matt’s experience at Argo AI highlights the unpredictable challenges in robotics, like adapting self-driving systems to environmental oddities (e.g., iguanas falling on sensors). Success in robotics stems from robust problem-solving frameworks, continuous learning, and assembling a team capable of adapting to real-world complexities.

3. Iterative Learning and Building:

The inception of Bucket Robotics showcases the power of starting with broad ideas, engaging with customers, and iterating rapidly to solve specific pain points like defect detection. This iterative approach helped refine the company’s vision and product-market fit, underscoring the value of feedback-driven development.

4. The Power of Community and Curiosity:

Matt emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive, curious, and knowledgeable people. Meaningful collaboration and asking thoughtful questions are key to both personal and professional growth.