Tooling's underestimated importance

Hardware has long lagged behind software in speed, accessibility, and iteration. But that gap is starting to close.

Matthias Wagner, founder and CEO of Flux, joins Greg to unpack how AI is transforming electronics design from a slow, manual, and fragmented process into something far more collaborative, automated, and accessible. After years at Facebook and a deep frustration with legacy hardware tooling, Matthias set out to build what he calls the first AI hardware engineer. A system that can help anyone design, iterate, and manufacture electronics with the speed and flexibility of modern software.

From rethinking PCB design workflows to enabling entirely new classes of builders around the world, this conversation explores what happens when hardware finally gets its GitHub moment.

In this conversation, Greg and Matthias explore:

• Matthias’s journey from early software engineering to Facebook and ultimately founding Flux to tackle stagnant hardware design tooling
• Why hardware has lagged decades behind software in collaboration, automation, and developer experience
• How Flux acts as an AI hardware engineer, guiding users from concept to schematic to manufacturing-ready design
• The inefficiencies of traditional PCB design and how AI can consolidate complex systems into single, optimized boards
• Why building in the browser unlocks real-time collaboration, faster iteration cycles, and continuous product improvement
• How Flux integrates supply chain data directly into the design process to avoid costly delays and redesigns
• The shift from waterfall hardware development to more agile, software-like workflows
• Why democratizing hardware will unlock millions of new builders, not just make existing engineers more productive
• Real-world examples of non-traditional users building hardware, including farmers creating custom automation systems
• Where AI fits across the hardware stack, from component selection to simulation and layout optimization
• The reality of building a deep tech startup, including five years with no revenue and multiple near-death moments
• Lessons on fundraising for long-horizon products and why operator investors matter early on
• How AI is reshaping team structure, hiring, and what it means to be an effective engineer today
• Why tooling is the most underestimated lever in accelerating robotics and hardware innovation
• Matthias’s vision for the future where building hardware becomes so easy that “hardware is hard” disappears as a concept

If you are building in robotics, hardware, or just thinking about how AI will reshape the physical world, this episode offers a compelling look at the tools and mindset shifts required to unlock the next wave of innovation.

Website: https://www.flux.ai/

Job site: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/flux

Connect with Flux on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildwithflux/posts/?feedView=all

Connect with Matthias Wagner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthias-wagner-5220b047/

Flux X: https://x.com/BuildWithFlux

Matthias' X: https://x.com/MatthiasWagner

Connect with Greg on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregtoroosian/