Landing Moonshots with Google's Innovation Chief Dr. Astro Teller

Vision, not skill, is the heart of creativity. But when a creative vision gets too big for one person, the key is to ask for help. Logic is a platinum-selling rapper who’s made waves in the hip hop world. After a troubled childhood, he started making music with a positive, introspective message, eventually receiving nominations for two Grammy Awards. But after achieving massive popular success, he decided to branch out into something different. Today, he writes science fiction novels, makes movies, and is the only rapper to also have a New York Times bestseller. I sat down with Logic, whose real name is Bobby Hall, for a deep dive into bringing creative visions to life — especially when you have no idea what you’re doing. This…is A Bit of Optimism.   For more on Logic and his work, check out: his new novel, Ultra 85@logic  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The slums of Kenya are a tough place to grow up. Stealing a mango could get you killed.Kennedy Odede grew up in Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum. A street kid at age 10, he dreamed of factory work for 10 cents a day. But after stealing a mango out of hunger, a stranger's single act of kindness changed the course of his life.Today, Kennedy is the CEO and founder of Shining Hope for Communities, or SHOFCO. For 20 years, SHOFCO has empowered Kenya's poorest neighborhoods, helping over 4 million people access clean water, education, and Internet. In 2024, TIME Magazine named Kennedy one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kennedy shares with me what it takes to see human goodness while surrounded by scarcity and anger, and how poverty taught him that being together is one of the greatest forms of wealth.This...is A Bit of Optimism.To learn more about Kennedy and his work, check out: SHOFCO.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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's hardest problems. The same "moonshot factory" that created Google Brain and Waymo self-driving cars is also working on carbon capture, laser-beam Internet, delivery drones, and more. I sat down with Astro to discuss how we build cultures of radical innovation. He shares some useful wisdom about unlearning what we know and why the counterintuitive approach is the key to landing moonshots. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Astro and his work, check out: X, the moonshot factorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and poetry usually don't mix. But vulnerability has the power to bring teams together.Poet IN-Q has found an unlikely audience in business. A slam poetry veteran and accomplished songwriter, companies invite IN-Q to help strengthen their cultures. He works with teams to connect on a deeper level, using poetry to share something human. As he'll tell you, winning over crowds of skeptical businesspeople is an art.  In this conversation, IN-Q takes me through a powerful exercise in vulnerability. He shares some deeply personal poems and walks me through writing my own, and I learn that to truly connect with someone else, you must offer something of yourself first. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about IN-Q and his work, check out: The Never Ending Now poetry journal IN-Q.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our sense of smell has the deepest tie to emotion and memory. But it's also the most overlooked. In business, that's a giant missed opportunity. Dawn Goldworm knows how to use scent to evoke emotion and create loyalty. From Lady Gaga to Ferrari to books, Dawn designs signature fragrances that allow customers to connect with brands in a more meaningful way. A perfumer turned entrepreneur, her company 12.29 works with some of the biggest names in hospitality, fashion, automotive, and beyond.Many years ago, Dawn helped me create the Scent of Optimism. I was excited to talk with her about what it takes to compose a new smell from scratch and why smell has the unique ability to make a brand instantly memorable.This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Dawn and her work, check out: 12.29See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fierce competition can lead to burnout. How do we train ourselves to maintain excellence without giving in to the pressure to perform? High-performance psychologist Mike Gervais has a solution. He calls it mastery. Mike's approach to mastering our thoughts and emotions has helped Olympians win gold medals, the Seattle Seahawks win the Superbowl, and CEOs take their companies to the next level. Mike and I sat down to discuss the psychological tools to fine-tune our inner voices and why focusing on purpose instead of outcome empowers us to accomplish difficult things.This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Mike's work, check out his podcast:Finding MasterySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Classical music could use a little disruption. For Anastasia Kobekina, that means playing outside of its rigid forms. An accomplished soloist, Anastasia has played with prestigious orchestras all over the world. She also bangs on her cello, improvises with Vivaldi, and sings. I was thrilled to sit down with Anastasia to discuss her musical experimentations and to hear her play some pieces from her remarkable new album Venice. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Anastasia and her music, check out: kobekina.infoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courage isn't about bravado. It's about staying calm. Li Karlsen knows a lot about staying calm under the most inhospitable conditions. One of the most accomplished freedivers in the world, Li is a record-holding champion at holding her breath and diving hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface. I wanted to ask Li what freediving has taught her about managing stress and fear. It turns out the lessons she's learned in the ocean work just as well above the water. Something as simple as changing the way we breathe can have a huge impact on our own fear and stress. This...is A Bit of Optimism. To learn more about Li, check out: her AIDA stats @li_karlsen and her latest venture bkm.healthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 2 of our conversation, Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and I continue our journey of out loud self-reflection. We discuss identifying our values, the two types of narcissists, explanation-based parenting, and exercising judgment over our own judgment. Listen to Part 1 here or wherever you listen to podcasts. This...is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Brené and Adam's work, check out: brenebrown.com adamgrant.netSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To become more self-aware, sometimes you need a friend. Two friends is even better.Brené Brown and Adam Grant swing by the podcast for one of our trademark conversations with no plan. It turns into a deep dive about knowing our selves and how self-reflection is sometimes best done with others. What's a little metacognition between friends?This...is A Bit of Optimism. For more from Brené and Adam, check out: brenebrown.com adamgrant.net  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.