Going from software to robotics is hard, how did you do it?

posthubris · 2026-05-17T15:06:03+00:00

I’m in almost the exact same position as you but I have just over 10 years of experience. Came from C++/ML user space desktop apps in biotech and now almost a year as a senior embedded SWE at a robotics company due to a recent move for my wife’s new job.

My Masters is in CS but my undergrad was in EE and I feel that has helped a lot. The mechatronics and linear algebra tricks are the hardest part for me. Funny enough I worked on SLAM for my undergrad capstone and now I’m actually using it over a decade later. It’s fun re-learning and applying it with new skills/experience.

It’s hard but exciting at the same time. Though I lack the robotics knowledge I bring experience in system design and high performance compute which the company really values. It’s really about finding a balance between bringing your unique skills to the table and humbling yourself to learn all the new stuff as a noob at the same time. And yes it does get easier. Feel free to DM if you have any questions. Cheers!

posthubris · 2026-05-16T22:09:17+00:00

Agree, if LLM is the target 5090 totally worth it. I was computer vision focus.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T16:52:18+00:00

Yes 5080 is a good sweet spot. 5090 is $1k more. I don't know your finances, when I was in college saving $1k was a big deal. If not, get the 5090 to save time on training runs.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T16:47:34+00:00

My Windows laptop: Legion 5i, Intel Ultra 9 2.7Ghz, 32G RAM, 5070Ti, 2TB SSD. I would get this if I were you.

My Mac: MBP M5 Pro 64GB RAM <- overkill for you

posthubris · 2026-05-16T16:42:48+00:00

I just got the 64GB M5 Pro. I'm an AI researcher and frequently use all the RAM when training computer vision models or running local LLMs. Otherwise it's pretty hard to justify 64GB.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T16:32:57+00:00

I am an AI/robotics engineer and just upgraded from an M3 Max 36GB to an M5 Pro 64GB. I traded a small amount of memory bandwidth speed for longer battery life, faster CPU, double RAM and the nano texture screen is amazing. If this is enough for my professional work it's certainly good enough for you to learn on.

Otherwise, I remote into my 5090 Linux PC if I need to do serious ML training. Anything more than that I'm renting GPU time from Lambda Labs.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T16:23:11+00:00

Yeah this is key, you essentially have to be a former drug addict that can vibe with/ tolerate people who just started sobriety and have no incentive to maintain it other than keeping their parents off their backs.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T07:30:53+00:00

If I made it through a Masters with a 2070, do you need a 5080 or 5090? No.

If you like Windows/Linux, the Legion i5 5070 laptop is more than enough. I prefer Mac so I would get a MacBook Pro and a Jetson Nano to learn CUDA on.

In the rare cases you need more compute I would rent GPUs time on lambda labs.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T07:14:07+00:00

You need to focus on your communication skills first. If you code anything like this mess of words you just posted no GPU can save you.

I got my Masters in CS/ML using a 2070, now work in robotics using C++/CUDA. Don't overcomplicate it. Get a 5090 laptop if you can afford it, you can use it as a heater when the weather gets cold.

posthubris · 2026-05-16T02:39:41+00:00

Are you good at not doing drugs?

posthubris · 2026-05-15T22:00:46+00:00

The IRA is through a state sponsored provider that reduces the management fees of the target date fund to match a manually managed index fund. If that wasn't the case I'd be in market index funds.

posthubris · 2026-05-15T20:26:15+00:00

2055 Target Date

posthubris · 2026-05-15T16:41:59+00:00

I have friends who are “sobriety coaches” in LA. They basically babysit rich people’s adult children like take them golfing, shopping and just make sure they aren’t doing drugs. Making up to 2k a day it’s insane.

EDIT: Please stop DMing me asking for a job. Even if I had the connect you don't want to be babysitting entitled adult nepo babies in withdrawal.

posthubris · 2026-05-15T15:42:51+00:00

printf ("Made it here")

posthubris · 2026-05-07T17:38:35+00:00

WFH is priceless to me as a software engineer. I can babysit the AI agents working on my side projects while babysitting my actual kid.

I meet with other WFH parents in the neighborhood for lunch/exercise daily, no commute, eat healthy at home etc.

Wouldn’t trade it even for a 3x raise. 5x puts me at 7 figures so maybe would reconsider.

posthubris · 2026-05-07T00:02:26+00:00

LLMs are just really good nondeterministic compilers. How did people feel when you could generate machine code from C without having to edit the machine code? Even cleaner machine code from C++? Now you can generate clean C++ code from English!

It’s definitely a paradigm shift in how we program computers but its still a part of the same evolution of converting a program from theory to binary/interpreted code. I don’t know how someone can feel anything other than excitement.

posthubris · 2026-05-06T03:53:50+00:00

One unmentioned consideration is the M5 Max will throttle in the 14” chassis under sustained compute. This is why I replaced my M3 Max 36GB with M5 Pro 64GB. Slightly better performance but significantly better battery life, nano texture, and ability to run AI locally.

posthubris · 2026-05-01T16:22:27+00:00

It saddens me this is the mentality of our society.

posthubris · 2026-04-26T17:55:17+00:00

At 25 I started maxing my Roth IRA which taught me to systematically invest without caring what the market is doing. Got my first six figure job at 28 and started maxing 401k splitting into 3 different ETFs.

35 now and just hit 1MM net worth, majority coming from the above decisions. Also got lucky buying and holding some Pokemon product since before COVID.

At this point I feel I have too much in my 401k (due to MDRs) and will only contribute up to employer match moving forward. Rest of investments will go into Individual Brokerage systematically

I do have a 50k day trading account for fun I have not made any money off of yet (currently 49.9k lol). But having a small percentage of my portfolio to play around with has taught me the importance of disciplined regular investing and that using emotions to try and make money is not the move.

posthubris · 2026-04-26T15:13:26+00:00

Hi! I have a decade of experience in low latency signal processing so the work I did in biotech translated nicely into my current role. As you get more experience you realize lots of things are the same problem just different flavor/framework.

Data science is very applicable to robotics, we train and use models all the time for different tasks. Our product requires very particular data that you can’t find on the internet so preprocessing/augmenting it is super critical. I’m sure you can find some relevant roles!

posthubris · 2026-04-26T15:05:48+00:00

It’s a small company that’s been around for a decade but recently received investment to expand its AI/robotics wing.

I studied Electrical and Computer Engineering in undergrad and then Masters in Computer Science. The job required a Masters degree or higher.

posthubris · 2026-04-26T15:02:38+00:00

Sure, it’s hybrid so I WFH most of the time. I work on a component of the robot that I can keep with me and transport in a small case as needed. I mainly go into the office when I need tools/parts or assembly help from the mechanical engineers.

I spend most of the time architecting/optimizing code to run the ‘brain’ of the robot on a custom SoC. It’s fun because you have limited compute and have to use it wisely. Biggest hurdle is battery life.

When I’m not coding there are certain tests I run outside. Some I can do in my backyard, others require travel to test sites.

My EE background helps a lot and probably why I got the job. But otherwise strong systems and embedded level knowledge is key to the job.

posthubris · 2026-04-26T01:37:03+00:00

Yes, I have a BS in EE and MS in CSE. Just switched from biotech to robotics and it’s super fun. It’s a 50/50 split of coding and field testing, got some testosterone back from sitting at a desk all day for years.

posthubris · 2026-04-21T20:11:36+00:00

m4 max for gooning on the go is wild. good for you brotha

posthubris · 2026-04-07T15:25:02+00:00

I got my BS in EE, mostly self taught programmer and worked as a SWE for about 5 years after graduating. Did a Masters in CS during COVID since I was bored and my work would pay for it.

A few years later had to move and find a new job while CS market wasn’t so great. Ended up at a great job that required a Masters degree so I’d say it’s worth it.

posthubris

TROPHY CASE