🎙️ Guest: Kate Halter, PhD – Field Sales Engineer at Tecan
🎧 Hosts: Mike Ouren, Sura Hadi & Elizabeth Rodziewicz
📺 Series: Automation in the Wild – Helical Brew
Lab automation doesn’t sell itself.
In this episode of Automation in the Wild, Kate Halter, PhD, joins us to talk about what really happens after the install. From neuroscience labs to field sales, Kate shares what it takes to build trust, train teams, and make robots actually stick.
You’ll hear about flooded benches, protocol packet struggles, and why listening - not pitching- is the real superpower in automation.
🧠 What You’ll Learn:
- Why trust matters more than tech specs during installs
- The biggest mistakes labs make before automation arrives
- How customer empathy shapes system adoption
- The hidden value of having a PhD in field sales
- What it takes to guide automation-curious scientists
- Lessons from the wild: cafeterias, elevator shafts, and no-shows
🎧 Subscribe for new episodes weekly → / @helicalbrew
📩 Want to be a guest? Email us: helicalbrew@gmail.com
📍 TikTok, Shorts & more: @helicalbrew
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Cold Open: Jobsian Vibes & Coffee Talk
01:36 – Meet Kate: From Neuroscience to Lab Automation
03:52 – Brain Slices at Dawn: Life Before Robots
07:04 – The San Diego Shift: Career Pivot to Sales
10:03 – Why Automation Success Feels So Good
13:07 – Common Lab Mistakes (Like Power Outlets!)
17:51 – Trust, Empathy & Winning Over Scientists
21:11 – Field Fixes & MacGyver Moments
24:17 – Staying Ahead: Weekly Trainings & Tech Updates
26:04 – Guiding Clients from Small Wins to Big Solutions
29:04 – The Power of Relationships (and Baked Goods)
32:28 – Creating Superuser Labs That Thrive
34:13 – Flexible Software & Python in the Lab
43:02 – Owning the Sales Role & Letting Go of Imposter Syndrome
🎯 Picks of the Week
🎧 Kate’s PickShokz Bone-Conduction Headphones
“My go-to for field installs, running between client sites, or hopping on Zooms. Super light, stays off the ears, and lets me stay alert on the road.”
🎤 Mike’s Pick
T-shirts for the crew from Helix Brewing in San Diego, CA
"Puff, Puff, Pale" from the brewery that comes up often on Helical Brew
🔗 Guest Links
🧪 Tecan Fluent Platform → https://www.tecan.com/fluent
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