Episode 107 | Autonomy at Bedrock: Building the Future from the Ground Up | Kevin Peterson

Kevin shares his 20-year journey from building self-driving cars and moon landers to leading autonomy at Waymo and now building machines that can literally move mountains. From lessons learned in scaling robotics startups to his philosophy on product milestones and company culture, this conversation dives deep into the realities of building technology that transforms the physical world.

Highlights:

- Why the best companies balance short-term sustainable business models with long-term transformative missions.

-The power of milestones, pragmatic launches, and “walking your way up” to massive impact.

-How Bedrock filters 10,000+ applicants to find low-ego, mission-driven builders who care more about impact than titles.

-Kevin’s view on company culture, personal growth, and why success in robotics means building something real together.

-Kevin’s childhood in a physics lab, his brief dream of being an astronaut, and how curiosity led him from psychology to engineering.

Learn more about Wilson Sonsini: https://www.wsgr.com/

Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-smith-9874176/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregtoroosian/