Startupable The Forward Deployed Engineering Playbook | Pablo Palafox, Happy Robot
Oct 13, 2025
01:16:46
I spoke with Pablo Palafox, CEO and co-founder of Happy Robot, the AI agents startup that's automating logistics and supply chain.
Pablo studied industrial engineering and pursued a Ph.D. in computer vision in Munich. Alongside his brother Javier Palafox (COO) and Luis Paarup (CTO), they were part of Y Combinator's in 2023, where they pivoted from their initial idea to what Happy Robot is today.
Recently, Happy Robot raised $44M in its Series B, led by funds like Base10 and a16z. Their "Forward Deployed Engineering" approach allowed them to grow their revenue 20x since their Series A. Today, they work with over 100 clients, including the largest freight brokerage firms in the U.S.
Today, Pablo and I talked about:
- Why implementation is more important than technology.
- How to get your clients to see you as an "AI partner" instead of just a vendor.
- How the "Forward Deployed Engineering" model drove their 20x growth.
- How they went from being a "threat" to a "strength" for their clients.
- Why building a blame-free culture is essential when working with imperfect technology.