Starsky Robotics Management Report

Running head: STARSKY ROBOTICS MANAGEMENT REPORT 1
Starsky Robotics Management Report
Student’s name
Institution affiliation

STARSKY ROBOTICS MANAGEMENT REPORT 2
Starsky Robotics Management Report
Executive summary
This paper needs to evaluate the nine component model of doing business by
applying the canvass approach. It has been noted that the company applies the business
and technology combination of models that drive it on the positive side. Through funding
from investors and partnering, the company can achieve the success of coming up with an
entirely autonomous self-driven truck in the market, this improving the transportation
logistics. The following are recommendations based on the analysis such as;
1. The company needs to evaluate well the aspect of having the autonomous self-
driven vehicles alone on the highway to avoid accidents
2. They should spread risks by involving as many partners as possible
3. Starsky Robotics need to employ highly innovative and creative skills to have its
goals achieved

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Introduction
Starsky Robotics is an autonomous trucking firm that is designed to manufacture
driverless trucks in the market. Stefan Seltz-Axmacher who is the CEO and Kartiwik
Tiwari, a co-founder wish to bring a solution to the logistical primary challenge in the
trucking industry through having drivers move off the road and start working in offices.
The company started in 2015 in Detroit, California and has 20-30 workers and 15
investors (Price, 2017). The firm has so far raised, over $3.75 million after making the Y
combinatory, Trucks VC, Sam Altman data collective including various other investors
uses a dual approach. It uses a software, computerized vision cameras, and radar to
enable long haul trucks to move autonomously in the highway. The trucks then turn the
driving job over to the trained drivers with the use of remote controls to take the trucks
from the exit to the end destination.
Business model
The company is a startup for self-driven trucks which uses a business model
combination and technology that makes the trucks autonomous by having them move on
the highway without the need of a driver. However, the trucks get remote controlled to
switch from the self-drive mode to that of a physical driver during the beginning and end
miles. This model is quite different from the one applied in self-driving trucks from Otto
and Embark firms that are also in the industry.
Building blocks
The company applies the nine building blocks as designed by Osterwalder & Pigneur’s
(2010). The Starsky robotics applies the building blocks as per the building block canvas
provided.

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1. Customer segments
The company products which include the driverless trucks include such companies that
depend on heavy commercial trucks for transporting bulky goods to other destinations. Other
customers include transport companies like the Uber Taxis which transport people and goods
using an online technology to identify customers. Many companies are also eyeing this move in
highway technology as they strategize to reduce costs of operation by reducing the number of
drivers for their trucks and replace them with technology.
2. Key partners
The company is entirely based on technology and makes use of the social media
platforms to communicate their developments in designing the self-driven trucks. For instance
the company has over 455 followers in twitter who increase by 3.4% monthly and 9.1% quarterly
and more than 479 likes in its Facebook page who grow by 3.7% monthly and 8.5% quarterly
(Poorsartep, & Stephens, 2015). The company is also depended on websites such as Webflow for
designing purposes, the lever website for hiring, the gandi.net hosting to host its products and
Openresty for servers, storage and networks. The company depends on these technological
strategies to market and develop its popularity in the market.
3. Value proposition
The company was started with a view of achieving the following outcomes;
 To automate the logistics industry by replacing the driver trucks with technological self-
driven trucks for commercial purposes.
 To help heavy commercial companies to reduce the cost of hiring people as drivers
 To embrace the aspect of technological development in coming up with trucks that do not
need people as controllers.