#128: Saurav Agarwal, Co-Founder, CEO and CTO of SIERA.AI, Providing Digital Inspection, Active Collision Avoidance, and Automation for Industrial Vehicles

Jul 26, 2020

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Saurav Agarwal is an entrepreneur and engineer. He is currently the founder, CEO & CTO at his second startup, SIERA.AI, which uses AI-driven solutions to boost compliance, prevent accidents, and fill labor shortages in logistics through digital inspection software, forklift collision prevention, and automated material handling.

Saurav got his start in robotics during his undergrad at IIT Bombay. He went on to do an M.S. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University in the E D P Lab and garnered several awards including the Qualcomm Padovani Fellowship. His research work is within the field of Motion Planning Under Uncertainty and SLAM for mobile robots. In 2013 he founded an online travel marketplace for finding local guides called GuideBuddy. Over the past 12 years he has developed self-driving cars, autonomous drones and computer vision systems. In his free time, he enjoys making music with his wife, cooking, reading and writing.

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Some of the Topics Covered by Saurav Agarwal in this Episode

How Saurav started SIERA.AI
Getting a grant from the National Science Foundation and the customer discovery process
Defining their initial product and building the first prototype
How they got connected with their first customer
How the company began to grow
Networking and fundraising through Dorm Room Fund and angel investors
Saurav's experience as a POC entrepreneur in Texas
SIERA.AI's current traction and team
How Saurav balances the roles of both CEO and CTO and the division of work with his co-founder Suhas
How Saurav approaches hiring
The why, what, how approach
SIERA.AI's product offerings
How they approach growth and customer acquisition
SIERA.AI's response to COVID-19 and its affect on the business and team
SIERA.AI's pricing model
How Saurav views competition
The biggest challenges Saurav has faced as an entrepreneur
How Saurav approaches short term versus long term planning by being impatient with action and patient with results
Saurav's advice regarding fundraising
Saurav's grand vision for SIERA.AI
Saurav's book recommendations
How Saurav manages his time daily
What Saurav does to recharge
Saurav's advice for entrepreneurs

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