296: The Art of Building in the Age of AI with Baukunst Co-Founder Tyler Mincey

What does it take to build something well, on purpose, in a world that keeps pushing you to move faster?

This week Chris sits down with Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst, a San Francisco and Boston based collective of creative technologists that also runs an early-stage venture fund. Tyler opens up about where the name Baukunst comes from and what building with intention means to him, drawing on a path that started with the touchscreen on the original iPhone at Apple.

Tyler breaks down research Baukunst has been running on AI adoption on the factory floor, talking through the different stages companies move through as they bring it into their operations. He gets into where the hype lines up with what he's seeing and where it doesn't, and challenges the idea that manufacturing is behind on technology.

The chat also turns to what AI could mean for the people doing the work day to day, not just the businesses putting it in place.

In this episode, find out:

• How Tyler's work on the original iPhone influenced his approach to building physical products.
• The meaning behind the name Baukunst and what "artful building" means to Tyler.
• What it took to build deep, trusted manufacturing partnerships during his time at Apple.
• Tyler's non-linear career path from engineering into digital design and venture capital.
• Why Baukunst formed research organizations/study groups to research AI and manufacturing.
• The stages companies move through as they bring AI into their operations.
• Where AI is already delivering results on the factory floor, and where the hype outpaces reality.
• Why the human side of AI adoption matters, and what the shift from bank tellers to ATMs can teach us.

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!

Tweetable Quotes:

• “Part of the reason I'm hungry for artful building is that there’s a whole lot of coulda but not a lot of shoulda in how we develop technology these days, where we feel like we're just rushing and accelerating towards an inevitable future that feels dystopian.” - Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst
• “I love people talking about how much of a will gap versus a skill gap we have in manufacturing these days. It's really an attractive place to work for the future and its inspiring for the next generation of engineers, of industrial labor and of operations professionals.” - Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst
• “Getting back to the human face, I think it's within our power to build different things too. And I think really holding our feet to the fire, asking ‘do we want to live in a world where things work this way’ is another gut check that I'm very passionate about.” - Tyler Mincey, Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst

Links & mentions:

• Baukunst is a collective of creative technologists advancing the art of building. Our inaugural $100M venture fund is dedicated to leading pre-seed investments in companies at the frontiers of technology and design.

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Mentioned in this episode:

Get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026!

If you're heading to IMTS 2026, make sure Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is part of your game plan. Hexagon is the architect of innovation in manufacturing and a global leader in measurement technologies. Make sure to visit Hexagon in the East Building at Booth 134102 and tell them Chris from Manufacturing Happy Hour sent you to claim your LEGO MAESTRO CMM via the link below.

Visit Hexagon and get a free LEGO at IMTS 2026