Robot vacuums have been on the market for over 20 years and are still in fewer than 20 percent of US homes. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks with Gary Cohen, CEO of iRobot and the brand behind Roomba, about what it actually takes to rebuild one of the most iconic names in consumer robotics.
Gary breaks down the shift from feature-led to consumer-led product development, explaining why iRobot missed key market opportunities and how competitors used that window to take significant market share. He shares the full story behind the failed Amazon acquisition, the Chapter 11 restructuring, and how he rebuilt the company's entire product line in under 12 months to win Prime Day 2025.
They also discuss why the robot vacuum market is far from saturated, why simplifying the setup and onboarding experience matters more than any new feature, and what the Gillette razor wars teach us about the robot vacuum arms race happening right now. Gary also addresses data privacy under the new ownership structure and previews what iRobot's roadmap looks like over the next two to three years, including a Japan-first product launch and the long-awaited iRobot lawnmower.
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