What does it take to build something well, on purpose, in a world that keeps pushing you to move faster?
This week Chris sits down with Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst, a San Francisco and Boston based collective of creative technologists that also runs an early-stage venture fund. Tyler opens up about where the name Baukunst comes from and what building with intention means to him, drawing on a path that started with the touchscreen on the original iPhone at Apple.
Tyler breaks down research Baukunst has been running on AI adoption on the factory floor, talking through the different stages companies move through as they bring it into their operations. He gets into where the hype lines up with what he’s seeing and where it doesn’t, and challenges the idea that manufacturing is behind on technology.
The chat also turns to what AI could mean for the people doing the work day to day, not just the businesses putting it in place.
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3 Quick Things from this Episode
- How building the touchscreen on the first iPhone gave Tyler a front row seat to what it takes to bring something truly new into the world, from custom silicon to lamination processes nobody had done at that scale before. He draws on that experience when he talks about “artful building” today, the idea of choosing a future worth working toward rather than just accepting where technology happens to be headed.
- Why AI adoption in manufacturing tends to follow a clear pattern rather than a single leap. Tyler walks through how it starts with simple information tools, helping people find what they need faster, before moving into something more powerful that takes on the hardest and most repetitive parts of a job. He explains where this shift is already paying off and where the hype still outpaces what companies are seeing on the floor.
- Why the human side of AI matters just as much as the technology behind it. Tyler points to the shift from bank tellers to ATMs as an example worth revisiting, where automation ended up creating more jobs and more meaningful work rather than taking opportunities away. He argues manufacturing has a similar chance to get this right, if companies think about how they want it to work before the decisions get made for them.
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Tweetable Quotes
- “Part of the reason I’m hungry for artful building is that there’s a whole lot of coulda but not a lot of shoulda in how we develop technology these days, where we feel like we’re just rushing and accelerating towards an inevitable future that feels dystopian.” – Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst
- “I love people talking about how much of a will gap versus a skill gap we have in manufacturing these days. It’s really an attractive place to work for the future and its inspiring for the next generation of engineers, of industrial labor and of operations professionals.” – Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst
- “Getting back to the human face, I think it’s within our power to build different things too. And I think really holding our feet to the fire, asking ‘do we want to live in a world where things work this way’ is another gut check that I’m very passionate about.” – Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst
Please Scroll Down for Recommended Resources from this Episode
Do you want to connect with other leaders that are moving the needle in manufacturing everyday? Then make sure to join us in the Manufacturing Happy Hour Industry Community on LinkedIn.
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What We Discuss with Tyler
- How Tyler’s work on the original iPhone influenced his approach to building physical products.
- The meaning behind the name Baukunst and what “artful building” means to Tyler.
- What it took to build deep, trusted manufacturing partnerships during his time at Apple.
- Tyler’s non-linear career path from engineering into digital design and venture capital.
- Why Baukunst formed research organizations/study groups to research AI and manufacturing.
- The stages companies move through as they bring AI into their operations.
- Where AI is already delivering results on the factory floor, and where the hype outpaces reality.
- Why the human side of AI adoption matters, and what the shift from bank tellers to ATMs can teach us.
Recommended Resources
- Baukunst is a collective of creative technologists advancing the art of building. Our inaugural $100M venture fund is dedicated to leading pre-seed investments in companies at the frontiers of technology and design.
Connect with Tyler and Baukunst
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