Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
In this episode of Just Gonna Send It, Jim Belosic sits down with Barrett Ames, robotics engineer, startup founder, former NASA researcher, and CTO of REK, a humanoid robot fighting league inspired by Real Steel. Barrett shares his journey from building robots as a kid to working on NASA’s Valkyrie and Robonaut 2 projects, earning a PhD in AI and robotics at Duke, and launching startups focused on construction automation and entertainment robotics.
The conversation explores the realities of building hard tech, lessons learned from failed startups, the future of humanoid robots, and why competition and destruction might actually accelerate innovation. From DARPA challenges and space robotics to robot MMA fights in San Francisco, this episode is packed with stories about curiosity, risk taking, and learning through building.
Key Takeaways
• Curiosity compounds. Early experimentation builds long-term advantage.
• Build real things. Hands-on projects teach faster than theory alone.
• Surround yourself with ambitious people. Great environments accelerate growth.
• Protect yourself in business. Clear agreements matter from day one.
• Hard problems are worth pursuing. Big breakthroughs come from difficult work.
• Robotics is becoming entertainment. Competition accelerates innovation.
• Do not quit too early. Most breakthroughs happen after frustration.
Additional Resources:
REK: rek.com
REK: https://x.com/REK
⏰ Timestamps ⏰
00:00: Introduction
02:40: Early Interests in Robotics
05:19: High School Experiences and Decisions
07:48: College Journey: Cornell and Robotics
10:27: Transition to Duke and Advanced Studies
13:07: Startup Experience and Lessons Learned
15:32: Innovative Solutions to Real-World Problems
23:32: The Journey Begins: From Engineering to Robotics
26:28: Valkyrie Project: Lessons from Failure
27:20: Robonaut 2: Innovations in Space Robotics
28:53: Pursuing a PhD: The Path to Knowledge
29:59: Navigating NASA: Career Insights and Pay Structure
35:03: Bot Build: Revolutionizing Home Construction
43:44: Introducing REK: The Future of Robot Combat
50:35: Future Plans
Custom sheet metal manufacturing and processing. From prototype to large production runs, get sale and assembly ready custom parts shipped in as little as 2 days; No minimum quantities; free US shipping on orders over $39; made In the USA: bit.ly/4dwW6rU
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/sendcutsend
In this episode of Just Gonna Send It, Jim Belosic sits down with Barrett Ames, robotics engineer, startup founder, former NASA researcher, and CTO of REK, a humanoid robot fighting league inspired by Real Steel. Barrett shares his journey from building robots as a kid to working on NASA’s Valkyrie and Robonaut 2 projects, earning a PhD in AI and robotics at Duke, and launching startups focused on construction automation and entertainment robotics.
The conversation explores the realities of building hard tech, lessons learned from failed startups, the future of humanoid robots, and why competition and destruction might actually accelerate innovation. From DARPA challenges and space robotics to robot MMA fights in San Francisco, this episode is packed with stories about curiosity, risk taking, and learning through building.
Key Takeaways
• Curiosity compounds. Early experimentation builds long-term advantage.
• Build real things. Hands-on projects teach faster than theory alone.
• Surround yourself with ambitious people. Great environments accelerate growth.
• Protect yourself in business. Clear agreements matter from day one.
• Hard problems are worth pursuing. Big breakthroughs come from difficult work.
• Robotics is becoming entertainment. Competition accelerates innovation.
• Do not quit too early. Most breakthroughs happen after frustration.
Additional Resources:
REK: rek.com
REK: https://x.com/REK
⏰ Timestamps ⏰
00:00: Introduction
02:40: Early Interests in Robotics
05:19: High School Experiences and Decisions
07:48: College Journey: Cornell and Robotics
10:27: Transition to Duke and Advanced Studies
13:07: Startup Experience and Lessons Learned
15:32: Innovative Solutions to Real-World Problems
23:32: The Journey Begins: From Engineering to Robotics
26:28: Valkyrie Project: Lessons from Failure
27:20: Robonaut 2: Innovations in Space Robotics
28:53: Pursuing a PhD: The Path to Knowledge
29:59: Navigating NASA: Career Insights and Pay Structure
35:03: Bot Build: Revolutionizing Home Construction
43:44: Introducing REK: The Future of Robot Combat
50:35: Future Plans
Custom sheet metal manufacturing and processing. From prototype to large production runs, get sale and assembly ready custom parts shipped in as little as 2 days; No minimum quantities; free US shipping on orders over $39; made In the USA: bit.ly/4dwW6rU
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/sendcutsend
