Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business

267 - Best of 2025! How Robots Are Saving America's Nursing Crisis with Matthew Chang

Jan 6, 2026
In this engaging discussion, Matthew Chang, the founder and CEO of Chang Robotics, shares his expertise in automating healthcare and manufacturing. He reveals how $200K hospital robots can deliver supplies in 90 seconds, significantly freeing up nurses’ time. Matthew also highlights the groundbreaking development of America’s first driverless bus system and discusses innovative initiatives like FAA-compliant electric vehicles. With a focus on customer-funded innovation, he outlines how his robotics projects enhance worker safety and efficiency across industries.
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ANECDOTE

Early Wins Building Driverless Factories

  • Matthew Chang built driverless factories and increased output by ~20% without new labor.
  • He scaled Chang Robotics to ~60 people and $20–50M/year robotics installations.
ADVICE

Realistic Timelines For Automation Projects

  • Plan three years for full custom automation from first meeting to live robots.
  • Use shorter nine-month timelines only for repeatable, well-known solutions.
INSIGHT

Embed Robotics In Existing Workflows

  • Tie robots into existing nurse workflows so staff don't learn new systems.
  • Trigger robots from current orders to keep adoption friction extremely low.
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