In this episode of This New Way, Aydin talks to Rob Imbeault, co-founder of Heartee Foods, co-founder of Assent, and longtime AI practitioner, about how he’s integrating AI into every corner of his mushroom farming business — from training systems and voice-driven data entry to hiring pipelines and grant applications. Rob shares how his team replaced costly software with internal tools powered by LLMs, dramatically accelerating operations and unlocking new insights. If you're curious how AI can power real-world logistics and training — this one's for you.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Rob’s background in machine learning and startup journey

01:15 – Building Heartee Foods and pivoting from software to farming

03:00 – Voice-based data collection for daily farm operations

04:50 – Replacing forms with AI-powered voice inputs

06:00 – Creating an internal LMS using LLMs and video training

07:40 – Why traditional audits now take 2 hours instead of 2 weeks

10:00 – The power of voice in AI interfaces and workplace design

12:00 – Using AI to build and query internal documentation systems

13:45 – Why LLM-powered search beats traditional search

16:30 – Building internal software faster than ever before

20:00 – How Rob uses AI to evaluate job candidates using transcripts

24:00 – Demo: Ranking resumes with NotebookLM

28:00 – Using LLMs to draft government grant applications

34:00 – Automating grant budgeting and narrative writing with AI

36:00 – The future of coding: From dev-led to voice-initiated workflows

38:00 – Rob’s advice to leaders: “Just start using it”

Tools & Resources Mentioned:

Fellow – For recording and transcribing interviews

Anthropic Claude / GPT-3.5 – Used to build internal tools

NotebookLM (Google) – Used to rank resumes and answer hiring questions

Cursor – AI coding tool for faster software development

Siri (macOS voice dictation) – Used for hands-free data entry and drafting

Custom LMS with LLM integration – Built in-house to replace third-party tools

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