Astro Teller on Moonshots, Self-Driving Cars, and the Future of Innovation

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Aug 27, 2025

Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at Alphabet’s X, leads groundbreaking projects like self-driving cars and drone delivery. In this discussion, he unveils the innovative mindset that drives moonshot thinking. Teller explores the transformative potential of technologies like AI and quantum computing, while sharing insights on mapping electric grids. He also delves into the complexities surrounding the evolution of drone delivery and autonomous vehicles, highlighting logistical challenges that can turn fantastical ideas into reality.

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ANECDOTE

How Google Brain Began At X

Google Brain started at X when Jeff Dean and Andrew Ng industrialized deep neural networks at scale.
X moved Google Brain back into Google once it proved it would significantly impact the company.

ANECDOTE

Waymo's Journey From Lab To Rides

Waymo evolved from X's self-driving car project to give rides with nobody in the front seat across multiple cities.
The team's emphasis was on extreme safety and human comfort to make autonomous rides feel normal.

INSIGHT

Systems Engineering Over New Science

X focuses on paradigm-shifting systems engineering rather than new fundamental science to create surprising outcomes.
Combining known components in novel ways produces world-changing products without discovering new physics.

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A Note from James

What does it take to make a discovery that changes the world? Think about landing on the moon — a true moonshot. Along the way, countless technologies were invented that reshaped life back on Earth.

My guest today, Astro Teller, has been part of that same kind of world-changing work. At X — Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory — he’s led projects that gave us self-driving cars, Google Brain, drone delivery, augmented reality with Google Glass, and much more. We even talk about quantum computing, drones that bring your groceries to your backyard, and the mindset it takes to believe in something that once sounded like science fiction.

Astro and I first crossed paths when I visited Google X back in 2012 or 2013. He was on this podcast in 2015, and now, ten years later, he’s back to talk about his own show — The Moonshot Podcast — and the latest bold projects that could shape our future

Episode Description

Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at Alphabet’s X, joins James to share how impossible-sounding ideas become real. From Waymo’s self-driving cars to Wing’s drones, from the birth of Google Brain to breakthroughs in quantum networking and modernizing electric grids, Astro explains the engineering mindset that drives innovation.

This episode goes beyond technology — it’s about how to think like a moonshot maker. You’ll hear how X chooses projects, why systems engineering often matters more than pure science, and how to break down massive problems into solvable steps.

What You’ll Learn

The three elements that define a true moonshot at X.
Why self-driving cars succeeded not because of new science, but because of paradigm-shifting systems engineering.
How Google Brain kickstarted the modern AI revolution by betting on scale when neural nets were out of fashion.
Why Wing’s drone delivery service may soon feel as ordinary as rideshare apps.
How Project Tapestry is mapping and optimizing the electric grid to cut connection times from years to days.
The promise (and risks) of quantum networking, quantum sensing, and the looming “Q-Day” when current cryptography could break.
Why empathy is crucial for workers displaced by new technologies.

Timestamped Chapters

[01:00] A Note from James
[04:00] Inside Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory (X)
[06:00] Defining moonshots: problem, radical solution, breakthrough tech
[08:00] Waymo and the hidden challenges of self-driving cars
[13:00] Safety, comfort, and the “body language” of cars
[17:00] Google Brain and the rebirth of neural networks
[20:00] Cats, YouTube, and AI’s first big proof point
[23:00] Wing: drones delivering groceries like magic
[29:00] Moonshot mindset vs. the Apollo mission
[31:00] How X evaluates and selects moonshots
[34:00] Breakthroughs behind Waymo and simulation at scale
[39:00] What if every car was autonomous?
[40:00] Project Tapestry: modernizing the electric grid
[45:00] Mapping PJM and national-scale grids
[46:00] Lessons from Google Glass: too early, or misframed?
[48:00] The future of AR glasses and AI assistants
[51:00] Why X left longevity research to Calico and Verily
[52:00] Quantum computing, networking, and sensing explained
[57:00] The coming “Q-Day” and what it means for security
[59:00] AI, jobs, and the importance of empathy
[61:00] Closing thoughts and Astro’s Moonshot Podcast

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