Landing Moonshots with Google’s Innovation Chief Dr. Astro Teller | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Astro further explains:

• Be good at filtering ideas before investing time or money into them.
• Understand the investment in terms of time and money. If an idea will consume too much of either, then it's probably not the best one to start testing out first.
• If your idea requires less time and money but has great learning potential, it should be considered.
• Ideas must be sifted through, dismissing 'bad' ones based on reasoning and evidence.

Simon ascertains what Astro says by using the 1969 moon landing as a point of reference. 

President Kennedy stated in his speech that the mission to the moon was a service to mankind, with the goal of advancing the human race forward. America had the "audacity" to dream of putting a man on the moon and bringing him back safely. They faced many failed trials over a decade, but eventually with the right technological power, they achieved it. 

Astro uses the analogy of "moving from the mentality of a gambler to a card counter" to highlight the fact that they are aligned with efficiency standards, unlike the actual moon mission which had national security issues prioritized over efficiency. 

The approach cannot rely on pure luck or too much luck, rather it needs to align itself with efficiency. This is exactly what distinguishes a gambler from a card counter. It is not always about "Can we do it?" but rather "How efficiently can we do it?"

You keep all the data and details of your previous attempts and runs to help you make an even more informed and efficient effort based on the learning and intellectual momentum you have. This way, you're not starting from scratch.

Whether you get it right or learn a lesson, the choice is yours!

"They never have the time and money to do it right the first time, but they always have the time and money to do it again."

• If you want to train a monkey to stand on top of a pedestal and recite Shakespeare, the priority should be to train the monkey rather than build the pedestal. The reasoning is that the success of the project hinges on the more difficult aspect, and building the pedestal does not address the fundamental challenge.
• In real-world situations, this analogy often translates to prioritizing substantial but less risky tasks that give a sense of progress, such as building a metaphorical pedestal. This approach allows people to appear as if they are making significant progress.

There's a story about when Alexander the Great came across a very complex knot tied in front of a temple with a legend that the person who could untie it would conquer all of Asia. He simply walked up to the knot, pulled out his sword, and sliced through it. This became known as "cutting the Gordian knot." Sometimes, things can't be accomplished in the usual way. He found a completely different way of playing that game.

1. Embracing failure as it is an essential part of the innovation process

2. Create an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks and exploring new ideas

3. Focus on the problem you're trying to solve, rather than getting attached to a specific solution

4. Value diversity and collaboration in driving innovation

5. Learn from failure