Coredump Sessions

In this Coredump Session, Tyler Hoffman joins us as host and Yoto co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker shared how they built one of the fastest-growing brands in kid tech around a simple idea, a screen-free audio player designed for real family life. They discussed how feedback from kids shaped key hardware decisions across multiple generations of devices, and how the team balanced durability, battery life, and connectivity as Yoto scaled globally. The conversation also explored how their approach to device monitoring and updates evolved alongside their growing fleet.

Key Takeaways
Yoto built its product around a deliberately constrained experience: no screens, no ads, no microphones, and controls simple enough for a two-year-old to use independently.
The company treated audio content as the core product, combining licensed entertainment, music, podcasts, and interactive experiences to drive long-term engagement.
Early prototypes were built with Raspberry Pi hardware to validate real-world usage quickly before investing in custom production hardware.
Children became the primary usability test group because their behavior immediately exposed friction points and design flaws.
Hardware constraints drove innovation. Limited controls and minimal inputs forced the team to create more intuitive product interactions.
Yoto evolved through multiple hardware generations as real-world family usage exposed challenges around durability, connectivity, and battery performance.
Device observability and fleet monitoring became increasingly important as Yoto scaled globally and needed visibility into issues occurring in the field.
OTA update strategy matured alongside fleet growth, helping the team manage reliability improvements and software iteration remotely.
Regulatory complexity around connected kid devices continues to increase, particularly around cybersecurity and children’s data protections.
Community became a major product advantage, with parents contributing feedback, creating custom content, and shaping future product improvements.

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Summary:In today's Coredump Session, we sit down with Noah Pasek-Nelson and Chris Markus, the co-founders of BootLoop: an AI-powered platform purpose-built for firmware teams. The conversation gets into the real mechanics of how AI actually fits into embedded development workflows, from hardware bring-up and driver generation to hardware-in-the-loop testing and field debugging. Noah and Chris bring hard-won perspective from SpaceX, MIT, and FDA-regulated medical devices, and they don't shy away from the messy questions— hallucination, autonomy, trust, and what it actually takes to close the loop when your runtime is physical hardware.
Key Takeaways:
BootLoop is an AI platform built for the entire firmware lifecycle, from hardware bring-up through field debugging, not just code generation.
The two core pillars are hardware understanding (ingesting schematics, data sheets, netlists) and hardware interaction (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, GDB).
Firmware engineers only spend about 20% of their time writing code. The rest is testing, debugging, and validation, which is where BootLoop focuses.
Agents do their best work in tight feedback loops. BootLoop builds, flashes, and tests on device automatically so the agent can iterate without human intervention.
Hardware understanding eliminates hallucination by grounding the model in your specific chips, register maps, and pin configurations rather than public code averages.
Power optimization is a standout use case: feed in the data sheet, connect a power meter, set a target, and come back to optimized code.
BootLoop supports C, C++, Rust, Zephyr, bare metal, and embedded Linux. HDL and FPGA support is coming.
Sentinel, their field debugging product, automatically kicks off root cause analysis the moment a bug comes in from the field, before an engineer even sits down.
Pricing is a flat fee with unlimited usage, intentionally aligned so the incentive is correct code, not more code.
New chips are supported as fast as you can upload the documentation. There is no supported chips list.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro: AI at the Bench for Firmware Teams02:23 What Is BootLoop? Meet the Founders05:18 What Actually Changes Day-to-Day for Firmware Engineers07:13 The Hallucination Problem and How to Solve It in Hardware09:51 From Data Sheet to Flashed Device: A Live Workflow Demo11:20 Oscilloscopes, GDB, and Natural Language: Hardware Interaction Explained13:34 How Much Babysitting Does an AI Agent Actually Need?45:59 Greenfield vs. Brownfield: Where BootLoop Fits Best47:33 Audience Q&A: Business Model, Security, and Supported Chips57:35 Debugging in the Field: Sentinel, MCP, and Root Cause Analysis1:00:04 Closing Thoughts and How to Get a Demo
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Spotify DetailsIn today's Coredump Session, François Baldassari and Chris Coleman sit down with Ross Yeager, VP of Device Platform Software at Skydio, to explore how autonomy is reshaping modern robotics and what it takes to build drones that can truly think for themselves. Ross shares his journey from Boosted Boards to Skydio, unpacking how the company pioneered fully autonomous flight, built a vertically integrated manufacturing operation in California, and created a foundation that blends cutting-edge software and hardware. It’s a conversation about leadership, innovation, and the engineering mindset behind one of the most advanced drone platforms in the world.
Key Takeaways:
Ross Yeager's journey into embedded engineering began with a passion for electronics and product development.
Kickstarter projects provided valuable lessons in scaling production and managing customer expectations.
Working at Boosted Boards allowed Ross to experience the challenges of building products from scratch.
Safety is a critical concern in drone technology, with high stakes for reliability and performance.
Skydio's unique approach involves vertical integration, manufacturing drones in the U.S. for quality control.
The embedded engineering landscape has evolved, with new tools and technologies simplifying development.
Testing and quality assurance are paramount, with innovative methods to ensure reliability in drone operations.
Ross emphasizes the importance of curiosity and problem-solving in engineering roles.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Teasers
03:30 Ross's Path to Embedded Engineering07:52 Lessons from Kickstarter and Early Projects12:35 Transitioning to Boosted Boards and Micro-Mobility17:52 Challenges in Embedded Systems and Hardware Development22:45 Skydio's Unique Approach to Drone Technology30:06 Manufacturing Drones in the U.S.35:01 Embedded Engineering Challenges and Safety Considerations39:29 Testing and Quality Assurance in Drone Development46:47 Future of Skydio and Career Opportunities56:18 Closing Thoughts & Reflections
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Summary
In today’s Coredump Session, François and Chris wrap up the year with a special milestone celebration for the 20th episode of the series. They take listeners behind the mic to reflect on how Coredump began, the moments that defined 2025, and the lessons learned along the way. Expect highlights from the year’s most talked-about discussions, bold predictions for what’s ahead in 2026, and the biggest live Q&A yet—where nothing is off the table.

Key Takeaways:
Why Coredump Sessions started and how the show has evolved over 20 episodes
The biggest engineering lessons guests shared throughout 2025
The most surprising device failures and field behaviors teams faced this year
How firmware teams adapted to fast-changing toolchains and new requirements
The rise of AI-assisted debugging, testing, and development in embedded work
How security mandates tightened and reshaped device development
The recurring theme that real-world conditions rarely match lab assumptions
What François and Chris learned from producing the series behind the scenes
What the hosts expect to define embedded systems development in 2026
The expanded live Q&A format and how the community is shaping future episodes

Chapters:
00:00 Teasers
01:30 Intro/ Welcome
03:35 The Genesis of Core Dump
06:54 Favorite Moments and Lessons Learned
08:45 Clip Reaction: Nick Sinas's OTA Nightmare in the Snow
12:19 Clip Reaction: Lack of Security at Pebble
16:45 Clip Reaction: Dan Mangum on AI & Engineering
21:50 Clip Reaction: Vatsal at Ultrahuman Talks Always-On Devices
25:29 Clip Reaction: Chad from Gabb Talks Security
30:12 Looking Ahead: Predictions for 2026
35:59 The Rise of AI and Edge Computing
42:24 Evolving Skills for Firmware Engineers
47:01 Security in Embedded Systems
49:01 The Future of Testing in Embedded Development
53:15 Conclusions & Thank Yous

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Summary
In today’s Coredump Session, François and Chris wrap up the year with a special milestone celebration for the 20th episode of the series. They take listeners behind the mic to reflect on how Coredump began, the moments that defined 2025, and the lessons learned along the way. Expect highlights from the year’s most talked-about discussions, bold predictions for what’s ahead in 2026, and the biggest live Q&A yet—where nothing is off the table.

Key Takeaways:
Why Coredump Sessions started and how the show has evolved over 20 episodes
The biggest engineering lessons guests shared throughout 2025
The most surprising device failures and field behaviors teams faced this year
How firmware teams adapted to fast-changing toolchains and new requirements
The rise of AI-assisted debugging, testing, and development in embedded work
How security mandates tightened and reshaped device development
The recurring theme that real-world conditions rarely match lab assumptions
What François and Chris learned from producing the series behind the scenes
What the hosts expect to define embedded systems development in 2026
The expanded live Q&A format and how the community is shaping future episodes

Chapters:
00:00 Teasers
01:30 Intro/ Welcome
03:35 The Genesis of Core Dump
06:54 Favorite Moments and Lessons Learned
08:45 Clip Reaction: Nick Sinas's OTA Nightmare in the Snow
12:19 Clip Reaction: Lack of Security at Pebble
16:45 Clip Reaction: Dan Mangum on AI & Engineering
21:50 Clip Reaction: Vatsal at Ultrahuman Talks Always-On Devices
25:29 Clip Reaction: Chad from Gabb Talks Security
30:12 Looking Ahead: Predictions for 2026
35:59 The Rise of AI and Edge Computing
42:24 Evolving Skills for Firmware Engineers
47:01 Security in Embedded Systems
49:01 The Future of Testing in Embedded Development
53:15 Conclusions & Thank Yous

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⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube

Follow Memfault
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Other ways to listen:
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iHeartRadio⁠⁠
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GoodPods
Castbox
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⁠⁠Visit our website