How do you solve the world's toughest problems? Or find the next big thing in tech? Lots of organizations fail to explore and take big bets on new ideas because they can't tolerate the mess of experimentation and the fear of failure. At X, Alphabet's dedicated innovation factory, they don't have that problem, and Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at X, can ... Show More
Sep 1
Are Great Leaders Truly Great—or Just Lucky?
How much does a leader actually matter to an organization’s success? We tend to credit CEOs, founders, and other powerful figures with shaping the institutions they lead, but historian Jared Diamond argues that we often underestimate the role of timing, circumstance, industry, an ... Show More
25m 16s
Sep 2024
Landing Moonshots with Google's Innovation Chief Dr. Astro Teller
Before Elon Musk rebranded Twitter, X was already in use — at Google. Google X was Google's secret research lab, where Google's most imaginative ideas came to life. As CEO and co-founder, Astro Teller's job is to harness X's wildest, most futuristic technology to solve the world' ... Show More
44m 41s
Aug 2025
Astro Teller on Moonshots, Self-Driving Cars, and the Future of Innovation
<p><strong>A Note from James</strong></p><p>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.</p><p>My guest today, Astro Teller, h ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2025
237. Mistake It Till You Make It: Learn Faster and Fail Smarter
Why we learn the most when we accept that we might be wrong.Effective communication isn’t about having all the answers. As Astro Teller knows, it’s about finding (and sometimes fumbling) your way through the questions.Teller is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who ... Show More
23m 39s
Nov 2021
A Culture of Experimentation
<p>How can organizations become more experimental? Julia Dhar, the cofounder and leader of BeSmart, BCG’s behavioral economics and insights initiative, says identify a big problem, start small, and do not overly worry that academics may criticize your experiment. As a bonus, Dhar ... Show More
22m 29s