01Independent advisory · est. 2023
Metal Dog Labs is the consulting practice of Rhishi Pethe — twenty years of building software for food, agriculture, and the supply chains that move them. Two newsletters, a podcast, and a small advisory practice for operators rethinking what AI means in their industry.
02Advisory
Engagements range from a single half-day briefing to multi-quarter retainers. Every project starts with a call and a written scope — no decks, no proposals theatre.
Most AI work in legacy industries dies in the pilot. The hard part isn't the model — it's the data, the workflow, the change management, and a clear-eyed view of where ML actually compounds value. I help operators choose where to bet, what to build vs. buy, and how to ship.
Food and ag don't move at the speed of consumer software. Twenty years of working with growers, processors, equipment OEMs, and grocery retailers — translating digital ambition into systems that work in barns, fields, and DCs.
Two startup exits, one spin-out, and product leadership at Climate Corp, Mineral, and Amazon. I work closely with founders and product leaders building category-defining tools for the food-and-ag economy.
Ways to engage
A focused session with your team on a specific question. Outcome: a written brief.
Two-to-four weeks. Deep dive on a use-case, market, or capability. Outcome: a strategy document.
Ongoing partnership with founders, executives, or boards. Outcome: a thinking partner on call.
Selected engagements
Working with program teams on AI advisory, and digital tooling for smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Helping the membership think through the next decade of harvest automation in fresh produce — from picking robots and labor management to grower economics
6 month strategy engagement for company pivot including discovery for pricing, packaging, product roadmap, and customer positioning
Landscape scan and due diligence on the use of AI in herbicide discovery to help investment decisions
Additional engagements with operators, founders, and investors available on request.
03Research
Published white papers, tailored, paid research for investors, agribusinesses, and startups. Full research archive →
A blueprint, drawn from four agriculture-focused organizations across cropping systems and regions, for how food and ag enterprises actually get value from generative AI.
A framework for AgriFood organizations on value identification, use cases, and how value is created — and captured — once GenAI moves out of pilots.
Why agtech software has struggled with adoption — trust, business models, and user experience — and where AI does, and does not, address those constraints.
Tailored research
Tailored research and analysis for investors, agribusinesses, and startups — delivered as a paid service.
Get in touch04Writing
One newsletter on food and agriculture systems through the lens of technology. Another on the how, why, and why-the-hell-not of automation and physical AI. Both are free.
05Speaking & media
Selected appearances from 2024–2025. For booking inquiries about keynotes, panels, or moderation, get in touch.
06Community
A community of operators, founders, and investors building the future of food and agriculture — co-founded with Sachi Desai and Walt Duflock.
07About
I've spent twenty years building product and technology in the food and agriculture supply chain — at Google's Mineral, at Climate Corp / Bayer, and at Amazon. Two startup exits and one spin-out. About a decade of that working with ML and AI on problems that move dirt and feed people.
Metal Dog Labs is the consulting practice that came out of all of that — independent, small by design, and built around the questions operators in legacy industries actually have to answer. Recent work spans the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Western Growers Association, and a number of operators, investors, and founders.
Outside the practice, I write two newsletters, guest host podcasts, and speak regularly at industry events. The writing and the advising feed each other — reading widely is part of how the work stays honest.
08Get in touch
The first call is always free — usually 30 minutes, on a topic you bring. If we both think there's a fit, we'll write a scope. If not, you'll get a thoughtful read on the question for the cost of a coffee.
A free bi-weekly email on agri food tech, AI, and supply chains. Free. Alternate Tuesdays.
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