Astro Teller Highlights “Moonshot” Concept and the Importance of Failing Fast at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

PNN News Desk |

Astro Teller, CEO of Google’s “Moonshot Factory” X, shared his experiences on the moonshot concept and the “fail fast” mantra at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference on Monday. Teller stated that the primary goal at X is to develop technologies that seem impossible, but if successful, have the potential to change the world.

Some notable early moonshot projects at X include Waymo and Wing, which have now become successful companies. However, Teller cautioned that X’s “2% hit rate” means that most of their attempts do not succeed—but this is not a problem; in fact, it should be that way.

Teller further explained that X defines a moonshot using three specific elements. First, it must attempt to solve a major global problem. Second, there must be a product or service—no matter how implausible it seems—that could potentially solve that problem. Third, there must be a revolutionary technology capable of making the solution feasible.

He said, “If you work at X and want to create a teleporter, I would say, amazing, here’s some funding, see how you can prove it, because it’s probably going to fail. I don’t want you to succeed; I want you to gather data on whether this is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and if the answer is no, that’s fine too.”

He added that if a proposed moonshot seems too realistic, X is not interested, because it wouldn’t qualify as a true moonshot. But if an idea is slightly unconventional and contains the three elements, X is eager to test it.

Teller emphasized that creating a moonshot requires equal amounts of courage and humility. “If you don’t have courage, you won’t start walking down this unconventional path. But if you lack humility, you may wander far down the wrong path,” he said.

X launches over 100 projects every year, but only about 2% are successfully implemented. However, the company spends 44% of its budget on projects that turn out to be “extremely good,” because bad ideas are killed off early.

Teller also noted that innovation can be learned, and that everyone was creative as a child. Over time, however, we forget some essential things important for true innovation. He believes it is possible to create an environment where people can explore these ideas without feeling foolish.