The Automated Factory: The Real Gap Between Workers & Robotics | The Factory Doctor w/ Alex Krutz
The Factory Doctor Podcast Featuring Devin Bhushan
August 27, 2026
Podcast Spotlights
I get asked a lot about, “Well, can’t we just put a robot into this operation?” The answer is, maybe at some point…but not right now.
That’s why I wanted to talk to Devin Bhushan, founder and CEO of Squint, a mobile app that uses AI and AR to automate data entry and generate custom procedures.
Squint aims to make every operator an expert, and in the process, remove the bottleneck of ‘tribal knowledge.’
Devin combines an inside perspective on AI with a command of classic manufacturing concepts, and shared some powerful insights on how AI is reshaping modern manufacturing.
The Bottleneck is More Human than Technical
The thing that no one's talking about is that we are missing the low-hanging fruit, which is actually capturing that tribal knowledge…Creating a bridge from the world we're in today, which is veteran operators who have this hard-fought experience that know exactly how to run this facility, to this future that everyone seems to be talking about.
At my consulting firm, we work with clients to help them mature their processes, just in a different way, using manual methods and traditional lean manufacturing and continuous improvement. I know from experience Devin is absolutely right, there is a ton of tribal knowledge needed in order for a robot to eventually be successful.
But You Can’t Just Hand Operators an AI Model
You don't actually want your CAD files, your process maps, value stream maps, all these things going into the training loop of a frontier model…And you also probably don't want your operators to be getting advice from Claude that is sourcing that advice from Reddit.
Security and accuracy are both built-in issues with AI models, no matter how cutting edge or ‘frontier’ they are. These are also gaps Devin is aiming to fill with Squint. By building Squint on top of open-source AI models, with guardrails and access limitations, Devin and his team is creating a suite of tools that leverage AI while minimizing the drawbacks.
There’s May Be Only One ‘Moat’ Left in Business
I often get asked, "What's your vision for six months from now? What's the roadmap?" I can tell you what it is right now, but it's going to change tomorrow. Our customers dictate that. I'm not creating a roadmap out of the blue, I'm responding to what we’re hearing in the market. We just try to always move really fast. That's our process, just keep going. There's no such thing as a moat. It's just speed.
Devin takes that seriously. He and his team are shipping updates multiple days a week, grounded in real feedback. Devin learned early in his career never to assume you know what the customer wants.
Want to go deeper? Click to watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
You’ll also discover:
How AI is creating explosive growth in mid-market American manufacturers
Dunk the 3 - the core value keeping Squint focused on what matters
The difference between ‘closed weight’ and ‘open weight’ AI
Why Devin doesn’t trust sub-dashboards