Inside Alphabet’s X: Nurturing Radical Creativity
04/08/20 • 38 min
X, Alphabet Inc.’s “moonshot factory,” dares to solve big problems with breakthrough technologies. Most of their projects fail. But some — like self-driving cars and the AI that powers Google — are already changing the world. CEO Astro Teller joins Azeem Azhar to explain how he built a culture of radical creativity, where employees are encouraged to dream — and to fail — big.
In this episode they explore:
- Why allowing the right amount of chaos is vital for flourishing creativity.
- The five basic principles at the heart of X.
- Why innovation dies if only success is rewarded.
- What inspiration Astro takes from Willy Wonka.
Further reading:
-
- “Inside X, Google’s top-secret moonshot factory” (Wired, 2020)
- “Astro Teller on How to Handle Failure” (Wired, 2019)
- “Astro Teller, ‘Captain of Moonshots’ at Alphabet’s X, Is on a Roll” (WSJ, 2018)
X, Alphabet Inc.’s “moonshot factory,” dares to solve big problems with breakthrough technologies. Most of their projects fail. But some — like self-driving cars and the AI that powers Google — are already changing the world. CEO Astro Teller joins Azeem Azhar to explain how he built a culture of radical creativity, where employees are encouraged to dream — and to fail — big.
In this episode they explore:
- Why allowing the right amount of chaos is vital for flourishing creativity.
- The five basic principles at the heart of X.
- Why innovation dies if only success is rewarded.
- What inspiration Astro takes from Willy Wonka.
Further reading:
-
- “Inside X, Google’s top-secret moonshot factory” (Wired, 2020)
- “Astro Teller on How to Handle Failure” (Wired, 2019)
- “Astro Teller, ‘Captain of Moonshots’ at Alphabet’s X, Is on a Roll” (WSJ, 2018)
Previous Episode
The Next Trillion-Dollar Market
Biotech is gathering pace: AI systems are simulating novel materials, new genomic technologies are enabling precision bioengineering, and automation is executing production on a massive scale. Softbank Vision Fund Senior Managing Partner, Deep Nishar tells Azeem Azhar why biotech is the next trillion-dollar market, and what breakthroughs to expect.
In this episode they also discuss:
- Why emerging biotech and AI, together, would help control and stop coronavirus-like outbreaks in the future.
- What new materials and medicines are coming out of the “virtuous cycle” of research and funding that is now taking off.
- What the rest of the world should learn from China’s vigorous development of AI technologies.
Further reading:
- “As Zymergen Buys EnEvolv, Biological Manufacturing Is Ready To Transform How Industry Makes Everything From Airplanes To Air Jordans” (Forbes, 2020)
- “AI just found a new type of antibiotics” (Vox, 2020)
Next Episode
The Drive to Decarbonize
Clean energy is now cheaper than coal, and its uptake is accelerating. But can we get to zero emissions in time? Investor and technologist Ramez Naam joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how technological innovation and economies of scale are accelerating us towards a zero-carbon future, as well as the major challenges that remain.
They also cover:
- The virtuous cycle that drove the falling price of clean energy.
- How the Covid-19 pandemic could be an opportunity for massive government investment in clean energy infrastructure.
- Three strategies to overcome the renewable energy storage problem.
- Why industrial production of steel, concrete, and plastics remains the biggest challenge.
Further reading:
- “The Third Phase of Clean Energy Will Be the Most Disruptive Yet” (Rameez Naam, 2019)
- “Solar Power Is Sustainable for the Economy, Too” (Wired, 2020)
- “How Germany helped make renewable energy cheap for the rest of the world” (Vox, 2020)
- “How industry can move toward a low-carbon future” (McKinsey, 2018)
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