Why Do Startups Often Out-Innovate Large Companies?

Applied Intuition builds the kind of AI you don’t see, but can’t live without. Co-founders Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig share how their $15 billion company powers vehicle intelligence across cars, trucks, tanks, mining equipment, and defense systems operating in some of the most demanding conditions on earth.

They explain why combining AI with safety-critical systems raises the stakes, how a single mistake can destroy an entire company, and why so many autonomy startups ended up in the “graveyard.” The conversation explores the slow, methodical path to real autonomy, the hidden complexity of machines that run nonstop, and why consumer AI metaphors break down once software meets the physical world.

Qasar and Peter also reflect on how Applied uses AI internally, how their principle of “radical pragmatism” keeps innovation grounded, and what it takes to move fast without breaking things when lives and livelihoods are on the line. From six-figure labor shortages in remote mines to the future of defense and logistics, this episode reveals how AI is quietly transforming the physical world — one carefully coded system at a time.

Key Takeaways:

• Safety changes everything about AI
  When AI moves from the screen to the real world, the rules change. Qasar and Peter explain why building for trucks, tanks, and jets demands a different kind of discipline — one where precision and safety replace speed and iteration.
• The graveyard of autonomy is real
  There’s a long list of companies that underestimated what it takes to build safe, reliable autonomy. Applied Intuition’s founders share what went wrong — and why moving slower has been their biggest advantage.
• Radical pragmatism is the hidden differentiator
  Inside Applied Intuition, “radical pragmatism” isn’t a slogan — it’s a practice. Qasar and Peter describe how it guides product decisions, culture, and leadership, helping them innovate in places where failure isn’t an option.
• The next frontier of AI is off the screen
  From mines to military systems, the future of AI won’t be chatbots — it will be machines that think, move, and decide in the physical world. Jeremy and Henrik reflect on how that shift raises the bar for builders, leaders, and the technology itself.

Applied Intuition: http://applied.co/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/Applied
X: https://x.com/Applied

00:00 Intro: Safety Critical Systems
00:33 Meet the Founders of Applied Intuition
01:09 Understanding Applied Intuition's Unique Approach
03:02 The Human-Machine Teaming Concept
07:26 Challenges in Autonomous Driving
16:39 AI in Industrial Applications
28:27 Future of Fighter Jets and AI
29:50 AI in Applied: Coding Tools and Beyond
33:16 Radical Pragmatism and AI Integration
36:03 Challenges of AI Adoption in Large Organizations
39:56 Human and Technical Challenges in AI
42:02 Innovation and Organizational Structure
48:38 Reflections on AI and Future Prospects

📜 Read the transcript for this episode: Transcript of You Can’t Vibe Code a 100-Ton Truck: Inside Applied Intuition’s Approach to Safety-Critical AI

For more prompts, tips, and AI tools. Check out our website: https://www.beyondtheprompt.ai/ or follow Jeremy or Henrik on Linkedin:

Henrik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/werdelin
Jeremy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyutley

Show edited by Emma Cecilie Jensen.