237. Mistake It Till You Make It: Learn Faster and Fail Smarter
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Think Fast Talk Smart
4.7 • 805 Ratings
🗓️ 21 October 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why we learn the most when we accept that we might be wrong.
Effective communication isn’t about having all the answers. As Astro Teller knows, it’s about finding (and sometimes fumbling) your way through the questions.
Teller is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who serves as Captain of Moonshots at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory. In his work leading teams toward audacious solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, he embraces what he calls “a learning journey,” where being wrong isn’t the end, but the beginning. “As scary as it is to be wrong,” he says, it’s a necessary part of the discovery process. Whether experimenting in the lab or testing our thoughts and opinions in conversation with others, it’s about having the humility and curiosity to face the limits of our understanding. “When do you learn something? You learn something when you have a model about the world, and then you get some data that tells you you're wrong,” he says. “You learn nothing when you're right.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Teller and host Matt Abrahams discuss how embracing uncertainty drives innovation, why leaders should reward learning habits over outcomes, and how we learn the most when we’re not afraid to find that we might be wrong.
To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.
Episode Reference Links:
- Astro Teller
- Astro’s Book: Sacred Cows
- Ep.70 Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best
- Ep.20 Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication
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- Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn
Chapters:
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (02:22) - Defining a Moonshot
- (04:25) - Building a Learning Machine
- (07:04) - Learning vs. Productivity
- (08:39) - Capturing and Sharing Learning
- (10:53) - Rewarding Habits, Not Outcomes
- (13:21) - Moonshot Success Stories
- (16:20) - The Power of Storytelling in Innovation
- (17:50) - Launching The Moonshot Podcast
- (19:41) - The Final Three Questions
- (25:24) - Conclusion
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, Matt here. Before we get started, I'm excited to share that our October newsletter is now available. |
| 0:05.5 | Learn about five common communication mistakes people make, and most importantly, how to fix them. |
| 0:10.6 | Plus, hear about ways to get involved in something exciting that we're working on to transform your communication skills and career. |
| 0:17.2 | Find our newsletter at Think Fast Talk Smart on LinkedIn or under resources at FasterSmarter.i. |
| 0:23.3 | Now a word from one of our sponsors. Their support allows us to bring you quality content |
| 0:28.5 | free of charge. Hi, Matt here. I recently have done some international travel and I'm always |
| 0:35.7 | amazed when people can speak the language |
| 0:37.5 | of the country they're visiting. So for my upcoming trip, I'll be using Babel, my go-to app |
| 0:42.3 | for science-backed language learning. Babel lets me practice real-life conversation step by step |
| 0:47.8 | without the stress. It helps me build the confidence to speak up when it matters, from ordering |
| 0:52.5 | a coffee or chatting with new friends. However |
| 0:55.0 | you learn best by listening, speaking, reading, or writing, Babel adapts to your style and keeps you |
| 1:01.3 | motivated with personalized learning plans, real-time feedback, and progress tracking. Right now, Babel is |
| 1:06.9 | offering up to 55% off your subscription at babble.com slash t-F. That's babel, babble, b-a-b-b-b-b-l-com |
| 1:16.7 | slash t-F-T-S to get up to 55% off. Rules and restrictions may apply. |
| 1:27.3 | The best communication is architected for understanding. |
| 1:31.4 | My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. |
| 1:36.8 | Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. |
| 1:40.1 | Today I am really excited to speak with Astro Teller. |
| 1:43.8 | Astro is a computer scientist, |
| 1:45.7 | entrepreneur, and inventor. He serves as Captain of Moonshots at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory, |
| 1:52.2 | where he oversees audacious, high-impact technology projects. He has written two novels |
... |
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