Matt Rendall from OTTO and Clearpath Robotics

Matt Rendall from OTTO and Clearpath Robotics

Author: Evan McCann June 10, 2025 Duration: 43:37

Matt Rendall is the Co-Founder and CEO of OTTO by Rockwell Automation and Clearpath Robotics by Rockwell Automation.


OTTO is a leading provider of autonomous material handling solutions in manufacturing and warehouse facilities, trusted in mission-critical operations for some of the world’s most recognized brands.

Clearpath Robotics is a global leader in unmanned vehicle robotics for research and development, and provides hardware, software, and services to enable mobile robotics product deployment, and operation.


Chapters

- Starting Clearpath With $200 Right Out of UWaterloo

- Initial Focus On Autonomous Landmine Detection - Hence The Name Clearpath

- Bootstrapping The Business

- Customer Development To Find Initial PMF

- Leadership Evolution: Lessons from Mistakes

- The "Fail Wall"

- Balancing Innovation and Reliability

- Product Development Cycles in Robotics

- The Future of Robotics: Trends and Predictions

- Humanoid Robots: Hype or Reality?

- Advice for Aspiring Founders: Passion Over Trends


Chapters


00:00 Founding Story: The Genesis of ClearPath Robotics

03:01 Customer Development: From Idea to First Sales

05:52 Navigating Challenges: Bootstrapping and Early Growth

08:57 Leadership Evolution: Lessons from Mistakes

12:14 Product Development: Balancing Innovation and Reliability

15:08 The Future of Robotics: Trends and Predictions

18:02 Advice for Aspiring Founders: Passion Over Trends

21:02 Dealing with Hard Times: Building Resilience


Keywords

Clearpath Robotics, entrepreneurship, robotics, customer development, bootstrapping, leadership, product development, automation, industrial robotics, startup advice, OTTO, Rockwell Automation


Evan McCann sits down with the people shaping Canada's business landscape, moving past the polished success stories to get into the real work that happens behind the scenes. The Hard Part with Evan McCann is built on conversations with founders, investors, and leaders who have navigated unique challenges, focusing on the pivotal decisions and often overlooked struggles that define a venture. This podcast explores the specific strategies and personal playbooks that have driven impact, offering a rare look at the operational truths of building something significant. While the spotlight frequently falls on innovators elsewhere, these episodes are dedicated to the Canadian visionaries whose work is redefining global entrepreneurship from here at home. You'll hear candid reflections on risk, resilience, and the moments that tested their conviction, providing not just inspiration but tangible insight into the mechanics of leadership and growth. Each discussion aims to unpack the nuance of achievement, making it an essential listen for anyone curious about the substance behind the headlines in the Canadian business world.
Author: Language: en-ca Episodes: 100

The Hard Part with Evan McCann
Podcast Episodes
Eliot Pence from Tofino Capital [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Eliot Pence is the Founder and General Partner of Tofino Capital.Tofino Capital invests in frontier markets and frontier technologies. Eliot is also the Chief Business Officer of Osmo. Osmo is giving computers a sense of…
Kevin Callahan from Uniblock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:30
Kevin Callahan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Uniblock.Uniblock is a fully automated orchestration layer that combines 100s of APIs from 50+ partners into a single unified API.Takeaways- Learnings from Wattpad, Twitter/X a…
Farhan Thawar from Shopify [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:19
Farhan Thawar is a VP and Head of Engineering at Shopify.Takeaways- Why Xtreme Labs Was So Special- Why Xtreme Labs Did Almost Zero Interviews- The Role of AI in Engineering- Pair Programming and Collaboration- Story Beh…
Samuel Witherspoon from ANVIL [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:20
Samuel Witherspoon is the Co-Founder and CEO of ANVIL.ANVIL is a Mission First organization. They work with defence, public safety, law enforcement, and national security organizations to accelerate mission-critical deci…
Simon Leroux from Optionality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:48
Simon Leroux is the Founder and CEO of Optionality.Optionality is the AI-powered co-pilot designed to help M&A advisors, corporate finance teams, consultants, accountants, and Private Equity investors discover, qualify,…
Andrew Graham from Borrowell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:40
Andrew Graham is the Co-Founder and CEO of Borrowell.Trusted by 1 in 10 Canadians, Borrowell provides over 3 million members with comprehensive credit monitoring and personalized insights. Their innovative services, incl…
Mike Silagadze from EtherFi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:38
Mike Silagadze is the Founder and CEO of EtherFi.EtherFi is a decentralized non-custodial ETH staking protocol. It is the only staking protocol that allows stakers to retain control of their keys while delegating validat…
Roger Kirkness from Convictional [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:51
Roger Kirkness is the Founder and CEO of Convictional.Convictional is the infrastructure that powers decisions at the world's most ambitious companies. Takeaways- The Value of Y Combinator Programs- Modern Dropship Acqui…
Yoseph West from Relay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:32
Yoseph West is the Co-Founder and CEO of Relay.Relay is the business banking and money management platform that puts small businesses in complete control of their cash flow.To check out open roles at Relay, visit relayfi…