by Brittain Ladd | Sep 30, 2026 | AI, Humanoid Robots, No Retreat, No Surrender, Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding has an access problem, not a welding problem The humanoid robot industry has decided that shipyards need a mechanical welder shaped like a person. I believe that is the wrong robot for the job. Walk into a ship block under construction. Stiffeners run...
by Brittain Ladd | Sep 22, 2026 | AI, Delivery, E-Commerce, Grocery, Logistics, Microfulfillment, Retail
Groceryshop opens today in Las Vegas with more than 4,000 grocery and CPG leaders gathering to discuss the technologies, business models and consumer behaviors shaping retail. The agenda is filled with sessions on artificial intelligence, agentic shopping, retail...
by Brittain Ladd | Jul 16, 2026 | AI, Newsletter, Retail
I recently became aware of a fascinating robotics program implemented by the Mayo Clinic. I learned of the program from a reporter who contacted me and asked for my opinion on the topic of robots in hospitals. She casually mentioned that the Mayo Clinic is using...
by Brittain Ladd | Jul 13, 2026 | AI, Logistics, Retail, Strategy
Game theory tells you what position you must hold. Statistics tells you the odds your plan actually gets you there. Almost no company computes either. Ask a Fortune 500 strategy team what their plan is, and you will receive a narrative: a market thesis, a three-year...
by Brittain Ladd | Aug 6, 2025 | AI, Logistics, Retail, Supply Chains
I broke the story that Convoy was going out of business. Dan Lewis will confirm this. Out of respect for Dan, Grant Goodale, and the hardworking team from Convoy, I gave Dan several extra days to find a buyer for Convoy instead of me immediately writing a LinkedIn...
by Brittain Ladd | Jan 1, 2025 | AI, Delivery, E-Commerce, Grocery, Logistics, Microfulfillment, No Retreat, No Surrender, Retail
This article originally appeared in Forbes. July 8, 2018 Aside from Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, few grocers generated as much press and excitement in 2017 than Lidl’s arrival in the United States. Opening its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia,...
