University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Innovation chief says “pressure test” your pet hypothesis. It’s guaranteed to be wrong.
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Innovation chief says “pressure test” your pet hypothesis. It’s guaranteed to be wrong.

Ian Scheffler and Astro Teller
Freethink, 2023
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9

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening
  • Eloquent

Recommendation

A member of Robert Oppenheimer’s original team developing the atomic bomb, Edward Teller went on to help create an even more apocalyptic bomb – the hydrogen bomb. Later in life, however, Edward Teller focused on how atomic energy might be used to aid humanity rather than for destruction. In this intriguing interview, Teller’s grandson, X laboratories director Astro Teller, discusses the idea of innovating for the greater good. He discusses what “moonshot” innovation entails and why scientists and others today should balance the need for profit with a sense of higher purpose. 

Summary

A radically innovative pursuit, or “moonshot,” consists of a huge problem, a groundbreaking solution – and the technology needed to test it.

The term “moonshot” originated in the 1940s in reference to the seemingly impossible aspiration to land a human being on the moon. At least for researchers at Google X, now just X, a moonshot has several features. First, the team must identify an enormous problem in today’s world. Second, someone must propose a “radical solution” to solve the problem. Third, some technology must exist that will allow the team to create an initial version of the proposed product or service to test its viability as a solution.

The moonshots pursued during the Second World War and the Cold War didn’t have to be efficient. Since private investors fund X’s work, the team must pay attention to both innovation and efficiency. Radical innovation in this...

About the Authors

Ian Scheffler has written for The New Yorker, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. His first book was Cracking the Cube. Eric “Astro” Teller is an American entrepreneur, computer scientist and author. Since 2010, Teller has directed Google X (which has become X) laboratories.

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