Building Torbotic: Lessons from Year One

Gurjinder Toor, Founder & Executive Director of Torbotic, and Quincy Reynolds, Director of Finance & Operations, returned to share what a year of building a robotics education company actually looks like. Torbotic teaches learners to design and engineer robots rather than just assemble kits, the same problem as building IKEA furniture: following instructions doesn’t make you a carpenter. Gurjinder brings the robotics and engineering background, Quincy runs the business side, and their third co-founder Katie (an HISD STEM teacher, unable to attend) leads the curriculum.

The year in review:

• Kickstarter success: Torbotic surpassed its funding goal for their first modular robotics kit paired with an online curriculum platform. The team learned that Kickstarter’s algorithm rewards campaigns that build pre-launch interest, something they’d do differently next time by giving themselves more runway before going live.
• Community-powered workshops: Partnering with sponsors like the Stripe Houston Community made some workshops free for students, while paid workshops let attendees take a robotics kit home. Most of their traction has come through the University of Houston, their alma mater, and word of mouth from happy students and parents.
• First pitch competition: Torbotic entered its first pitch competition (through Baker Ripley) and placed top 5 out of 160 businesses, a confidence boost that came directly from watching another SPS member do the same a few months earlier.
• Getting the legal and operational basics right: Setting up the LLC, trademarks, DBA filings, contracts, and general liability insurance took far longer than expected, since the process started back in January and is only now wrapping up.
• Marketing trial and error: Last year the team bet everything on word of mouth. This year they learned it takes both word of mouth and social media working together, and that tracking unique links per channel matters more than guessing what’s working.

Key takeaways:

1. Document everything as you go. Just like writing comments in code, keeping records of decisions and processes lets you (and your growing team) understand why something was done a certain way, especially as more people join.
2. Get your legal foundation moving early. LLC formation, trademarks, DBAs, and insurance all take longer than expected and involve multiple parties (lawyers, banks, the Secretary of State). Start the process well before you think you need it.
3. Look for co-founders who cover your blind spots. Torbotic works because Gurjinder handles the vision and robotics, Quincy handles the business and legal side, and Katie handles education. Complementary skills mean the team catches what any one person would miss alone.
4. Track your marketing, don’t just spend on it. Using unique redirect links per channel (social posts, printed flyers, different platforms) let the team see which efforts were actually driving interest instead of relying on gut feeling.
5. Lean on your community and don’t build in secret. Feedback from fellow builders, even when it stings, is what makes a product credible. Torbotic’s early growth came directly from conversations within communities like SPS and the Houston Robotics Group.

Thank you Gurjinder and Quincy for coming back to share such an honest look at year one, reminding all of us that community, patience, and the right partners make all the difference in turning a side project into a real company.

You can view a full recording of this session below: