X’s Place in Alphabet

Astro Teller, Alphabet's X

“We’re looking for things that can have a huge, meaningful impact on the world within about five to 10 years,” says Astro Teller, director of Alphabet’s moonshot factory, X. He cautions that a parent company’s priorities can sometimes distract subsidiaries, but then adds how his division’s mission supports the imperative businesses have to constantly find new problems to solve in order to grow.