Andrew Ashur bet on an industry most entrepreneurs ignore, building maintenance, and built Lucid Bots from a $2k Toyota Corolla with no funding or tech background. Now a Series B company generating $75M for operators.

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Guest Resources

Lucid Bots – Check out Andrew’s website for more information and content about the company.

Lucid Bots YouTube – Check out Lucid Bots on YouTube to see customer jobs and robotics in action.

Andrew Ashur LinkedIn – Connect with Andrew personally on LinkedIn.

3 Value Bombs

1. High agency can substitute for experience, identify a real problem and take action to create something meaningful.

2. The best automation extends human capability, making work safer and creating new opportunities.

3. Solve problems where the work happens, use robotics where it delivers real ROI.

Sponsors

HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!

Incogni: Your personal privacy advocate, handling removal requests across 420+ data broker sites. They can’t harm you if they can’t find you! Take back control of your personal data today. It’s completely risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Go to Incogni.com/fire and use code FIRE for 60% off an annual plan.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: The Boring Industry Robots Are Quietly Taking Over

[1:45] – Andrew shares something he believes about becoming successful that most people disagree with?

• Many people believe there’s no substitute for experience, but Andrew believes high agency can be a substitute.
• High-agency entrepreneurs identify problems and take action to become part of the solution.
• Andrew applied this mindset when he entered robotics despite having no engineering or robotics background.

[2:53] – Andrew talks about how big is the hidden labor crisis in the skilled trades, and why entrepreneurs should pay attention.

• More than half of the construction-trade workforce is expected to retire within the next decade.
• The cleaning industry can experience annual employee turnover rates above 200%.
• Property services and real estate represent an enormous market that continually requires maintenance.
• As fewer people are available to perform this work, entrepreneurs have an opportunity to build solutions around the labor gap.

[3:47] – Andrew tells why he bet on hardware and robotics when so many founders were pursuing software and AI?

• He didn’t start with a prediction about the future; the decision emerged naturally from the problem he was trying to solve.
• Lucid Bots needed reliable mechanical and electrical systems to build drones capable of cleaning buildings.
• Even the best software wouldn’t matter if the physical system failed.
• AI is now accelerating Lucid Bots’ software efforts, but reliable physical systems remain a major constraint in robotics.

[5:07] – Andrew talks about how he went from a $2,000 Toyota Corolla and no funding to building a Series B company.

• He became obsessed with solving the problem after seeing workers nearly lose their lives while cleaning a building.
• Without an engineering background, he taught himself mechanical, electrical, and software engineering through books, blogs, YouTube, and hands-on learning.
• He started a cleaning company and went door-to-door selling jobs while simultaneously developing the technology.
• His first job involved pulling trash cans filled with water and chemicals out of his college Corolla to connect them to a drone for roof cleaning.
• The company kept improving the product by showing up at real job sites and solving the problems they encountered.
• Lucid Bots now helps other companies integrate robotics into their operations.

[6:44] – Andrew talks about when did he  knew they were ready to raise a Series B, and how he got his first investor.

• He recalls having only $42 in his bank account while his friends were preparing to return to college.
• An investor he’d been pitching invited him to Chicago for an in-person pitch.
• Andrew didn’t have enough money for the trip, so he went door-to-door until he found temporary work with one of his former Spanish professors.
• That work paid enough for his flight.
• The investor ultimately wrote the company’s first $25,000 check.
• The investor’s belief that “giving software a body” represented a major opportunity helped start Lucid Bots’ fundraising momentum.

[8:05] – A timeout to thank our sponsors.

• Incogni: Your personal privacy advocate, handling removal requests across 420+ data broker sites. They can’t harm you if they can’t find you! Take back control of your personal data today. It’s completely risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Go to Incogni.com/fire and use code FIRE for 60% off an annual plan.
• HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!

[11:46] – Andrew talks about where the biggest opportunity in robotics is and why so many entrepreneurs are overlooking it.

• He sees a broad opportunity in “giving software a body” through drones, robots, and other physical systems.
• In drone cleaning specifically, he believes the market is still very early in adoption.
• There are enormous numbers of buildings and surfaces that need to be cleaned and painted.
• The opportunity isn’t necessarily for everyone; entrepreneurs need to be willing to sell, market, and get their hands dirty.

[13:02] – Andrew talks about how automation can solve a real problem without simply replacing workers.

• Lucid Bots’ vision is to extend human reach.
• He believes robots should unlock opportunities and elevate people rather than simply replace human touch.
• One pilot with one hand learned to operate the drone using that hand.
• Another worker with a hip replacement could continue working without climbing ladders, lifts, or scaffolding.
• Robotics can extend careers and allow people to perform jobs they couldn’t otherwise do.
• Becoming a drone operator can also give workers a new sense of identity and pride in their careers.

[14:40] – Andrew tells what business he would pursue next if everything he built disappeared tomorrow.

• He would consider building a robotics-centric services company focused on helping businesses integrate and adopt robots.
• The model could incorporate different robotic technologies, from cleaning drones to interior cleaning robots.
• Property services are durable, recurring industries with ongoing maintenance needs.
• Aging buildings require more maintenance while new buildings are becoming larger and more complex.
• The labor shortage creates a growing gap between the amount of work required and the number of people available to perform it.
• He looks for markets where that gap is expanding.

[15:59] – Andrew talks about the playbook for bringing robotics and automation into traditional, overlooked industries.

• Start on the job site, not in the lab. Go where the work actually happens and identify what’s breaking or inefficient.
• Look for tasks where a robot or drone can create transformative ROI.
• Avoid “robot theater”; technology that looks impressive but doesn’t solve a meaningful problem.
• The best opportunities can deliver major improvements in speed, quality, or safety even before the process is fully automated.
• Focus on applications where the technology is both valuable and technically achievable.

[17:07] – Andrew gives one lesson entrepreneurs should remember about building in an overlooked industry.

• You may look crazy before the market understands what you’re building.
• Many successful companies were unconventional for a long time before becoming obvious.
• He compares drone cleaning today with the early skepticism surrounding companies such as Uber and Airbnb.
• The lesson: don’t let being early or unconventional convince you that the opportunity isn’t real.

[17:10] – Call to action.

• Lucid Bots – Check out Andrew’s website for more information and content about the company.
• Lucid Bots YouTube – Check out Lucid Bots on YouTube to see customer jobs and robotics in action.
• Andrew Ashur LinkedIn – Connect with Andrew personally on LinkedIn.

[17:10] – Thank you to our Sponsor!

• HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

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