Creativity, Failure and the X Company

X is a moonshot factory at Alphabet, a parent company of Google.The people who work there develop wild answers to crucial problems. The group claims they arose like a think-tank panel combined with the instincts of an improv troupe.

Leader of X, Astro Teller, likes to relate a tale about a firm that has to get a monkey to stand on top of a 10-foot pedestal and recite passages from Shakespeare.

"Where would you begin?" he asks.

To show off early progress to bosses and investors, many people would start by building the pedestal.

"That's the worst possible choice," Teller says. "You can always build the pedestal. All of the risk and learning comes from the task of training the monkey."

Teller promotes the idea of ways to, "Do the hardest thing first."  Most people want to get the easy done and receive rewards. "Fail fast. Fail often," becomes the X motto. Each X idea must adhere to a three-part formula. First it must address the problem. Then propose a radical solution. Finally, it must employ a feasible technology. Any idea can be a moonshot.

At  Company X, they encourage and require investigation into the absurd. X has looked into space elevators and tried to design projects that involve hover boards with magnetic levitation. They work to make affordable fuel from sea water. X has succeeded in building self-driving cars, drones that deliver packages, and contact lenses that measure glucose levels in a diabetic person's tears.

Teller develops a unique emotional climate where people feel excited to risk despite the failure rate. They fail their way to success.

The company thrives on failure bonuses. Not a bad incentive, Teller explains. He has seen too many projects hang around for years in  no man's land, taking up time, staff, and resources.

It costs less to reward employees who can say, "We tried our best, and this did not work out."  X employees gather to hear testimonials, not only about failed experiments but also about failed relationships and personal tragedies. They find it a successful and emotional event.

Employees learn to love failing their way to success.