The Manufacturing Automation Podcast

Both hosts open on the same diagnosis: the sine wave problem. Michael keeps bouncing between B2B proposal mode and Shopify e-commerce focus, and whichever one he's in, the other declines. Matt's seeing the same pattern smooth out slightly as style guides and brand kits he built over three months start coming back to him from the team — nearly finished, almost no edits needed. When the tools work, the founder stops being the bottleneck. Both are trying to get there faster.On the sales and marketing side, Matt teases a major hire he can't fully announce yet — a dedicated marketing and sales role that's been in the works quietly and is close to being inked. It's the move he's been circling for over a year, and it changes the commercial structure of Develop significantly. Michael, meanwhile, moves email marketing entirely from HubSpot to Klaviyo to break the contact list ceiling, debates whether to build email flows there or inside Gim Command before September, and gets talked off a bad IMTS booth partnership by Matt in real time. The two also go long on what Gimbel Automation actually is — CNC accessories ecosystem or something else — in one of the most strategic conversations the podcast has had.Engineering covers CoolantClear 3 already in prototype — with a production prototype that solves every install issue from versions one and two — and a machine at a customer site approaching one million units processed in four months. Matt pulls data on what 98.5% versus 99.4% reliability actually does to customer perception, and both hosts dig into why customers obsess over cycle time while ignoring in-process probing that prevents crashes. The episode closes with Develop building toward running without Matt by end of 2027, Michael flying to Maui for a corporate retreat, and a frank admission that the number to sell either company would have to be so absurd it's basically not worth thinking about.

Matt and Michael compare notes on what happens when your bottleneck stops being production and starts being sales consistency and founder bandwidth. Michael shares how Gimbel Automation’s Shopify revenue is up ~4x in a few months, driven by a major page overhaul and a conversion rate that’s increased ~10x—shifting his attention toward scalable “widget” sales instead of field-heavy turnkey installs.Matt breaks down the other side of the same problem: Develop’s delivery engine is scaling, but the limiting factor is now top-of-funnel response time, lead follow-up cadence, and project accounting, pushing him toward hiring an executive assistant and standardizing customer reporting. Together they talk SEO reality (KD-zero industrial keywords), how agencies stall when founders stop reviewing deliverables, and why the next growth step is often delegation plus tighter systems, not more leads.On the ops side, they cover floor-space constraints, CapEx tradeoffs, and practical improvements like Kanban discipline, objective-driven OKRs, and aligning incentives to measurable execution. The episode closes with real-world engineering updates—including shipping a major build in brutal weather, refining CoolantClear beta production, and catching a critical torque-spec oversight before a prototype hits the field.

In Episode 64 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel and Matt Moseman dig into what it actually looks like to run and scale an automation business when the hype wears off.This episode covers:Hiring realities and why “working interviews” reveal more than resumesFounder stress, perspective traps, and learning to measure the right metricsProfit-first thinking vs. raw growth in capital-intensive businessesWebsite conversion strategy, SEO obsession, and messaging clarityProduct demand signals, beta launches, and pricing confidenceAutomation product mix decisions and long-term market education challengesTime tracking, utilization, and building real COGS visibilityLeadership, culture shifts, and reducing founder dependencyThis is a candid, operator-level conversation about decision-making, discipline, and building sustainable automation companies — not just impressive ones.If you’re a manufacturer, integrator, or founder navigating growth, hiring, and product strategy, this episode is for you.👉 Listen to the Manufacturing Automation Podcast on Spotify and follow the show for weekly conversations on building automation businesses the right way.No theory. No fluff. Just two founders documenting the journey. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and join the conversation.

In Episode 62 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel and Matt Moseman unpack a high-energy, high-stress week inside two growing automation companies.They cover factory acceptance pressure, hiring engineers and machinists, refining interview processes, and the realities of scaling technical teams without compromising culture. The conversation also dives deep into sales and marketing execution — from viral product moments and conversion optimization to AI tools, website design, and where automation buyers actually want friction removed.This episode touches on:Factory acceptance weeks and capital equipment pressureHiring engineers, machinists, and culture-fit technical talentSales mistakes, boundary setting, and protecting founder timeMarketing automation, AI tools, and conversion optimizationWhen to outsource vs bring machining back in-houseDelegation, accountability, and founder bottlenecksIf you’re running or scaling an automation, CNC, or manufacturing business, this episode is an honest look at what growth actually feels like behind the scenes.No theory. No fluff. Just two founders documenting the journey.New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and join the conversation.

In Episode 60 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel (Gimbel Automation) and Matt Moseman (Developed LLC) dive deep into the real-world challenges and wins of scaling industrial automation companies. From hiring high-caliber engineering talent to fixing production bottlenecks, this episode is packed with insights for anyone in manufacturing, CNC automation, robotics integration, engineering leadership, and industrial operations.This week, the guys break down:Michael shares how bringing on a VP of Engineering instantly moved the needle across R&D, product refinement, and throughput — and why he regrets not making the hire sooner.They talk through backlog pressure, longer lead times, and the shift from “selling hard” to “choosing the right customers” as automation adoption accelerates.Growing automation companies means navigating terms, inventory, complex POs, and why cash-based accounting stops making sense once you scale.Matt and Michael discuss Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, trade shows, SEO, and creating a central content vault to multiply high-value manufacturing leads without burning out.Everything from metric hardware migration, foam insert redesign, fixture optimization, semi-automated CAM, and macro testing — to how small engineering details compound into big operational wins.A field-failure story highlights the reality of building reliable CNC automation inside OEM limitations — and why redundancy, software updates, and customer communication matter.They explore the mental load of running automation companies, balancing optimism with financial responsibility, and knowing when to push vs. when to stabilize.Whether you're running a CNC shop, building automation products, integrating robotics, or scaling a manufacturing startup — this episode delivers grounded, shop-floor-real perspective you won’t find on typical business podcasts.No fluff. No theory. Just two founders building the future of industrial automation.New episodes every week — follow the show to stay updated.