10 ms·

Ask HN: Any well funded tech companies tackling big, meaningful problems?

97 points by digitalmaster 6y ago

Are there any well funded tech startups / companies tackling major societal problems? Any of these fair game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_global_issues https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_global_issues ---- I don't see or hear of any and want to know if this is just my bias or if there really is a shortage of resources in tech being allocated to solving the worlds most important problems. I'm sure I'm not the only engineer that's looking out for companies like this. Ran into this previous Ask HN (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24168902 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24168902) that asked a similar question. However, here I wanna focus on the better funded efforts (not side projects, philanthropy etc). One example I've heard so far is Tesla. Any others?

fiftyacorn 6y ago
Is start with Gates Foundation. It is addressing some of these problems
misanthropian00 6y ago
Boston Dynamics. Their robot overlords may one day replace us thus neatly solving most of our problems.
- bjornsing 6y ago
  Replace us? Isn’t it enough to just enslave us, feed us scraps and tell us what to do? Lot’s of startups are working on that. (It’s called the gig economy.) :P Footnote: I’m not this critical of the gig economy, just couldn’t resist the opportunity for some gallows humor. :)
  - biztos 6y ago
    But what would a robot sufficiently smart/powerful to enslave us actually need us to do? Entertain them?
    - misanthropian00 6y ago
      Sure. Pets. We could perform tricks in exchange for slices of robot made pizza. Sentient robots may get bored too. Weird bipedal monkey creatures with delusions of grandeur should be good for a laugh at least.
      - biztos 6y ago
        Mmmm, pizza! https://youtu.be/okVM0sSwmNQ https://youtu.be/okVM0sSwmNQ
giantg2 6y ago
I don't know that I would use Telsa as an example. Sure, they are replacing fossil fuels with renewables, but I see this as trading one dirty commodity for another. Lithium mining is environmentally damaging and the impact will likely get worse as demand increases. So maybe a step in the right direction, but definitely not a true solution.
- johnmorrison 6y ago
  There is no non environmentally damaging solution, really, and there probably never will be. Steps in the right direction are all we can ever take. Asteroid mining might be a bit of a solution to this resource extraction problem, but not really.
- twunde 6y ago
  Tesla is actually a good example assuming that you believe that lithium mining is better than coal mining or at least an equivalent problem. Tesla's utility-level batteries (MegaPack) make wind and solar projects more economically feasible since any excess wind can be stored instead of being sold at negative rates when its not being used. These batteries will allow the replacement of many coal-powered generator plants since those are typically used for peak times when we need more energy. They're responsible for pushing the electric car revolution forward (making it fashionable), which is forecasted to lead to less peak energy usage and a more balanced usage during non-peak hours (since people will be charging their cars at home after hours). In theory, this reduces the need to make upgrades to the US electricity distribution network and we should lose less energy transporting it. This also reduces the need for oil, and could prevent more wars in the middle east (since their major resource is less valuable)
  - giantg2 6y ago
    I can agree that the view of whether something is helping or not could be subjective. That's not necessarily true about the infrastructure. The estimate I saw said if all the gas cars were replaced with electric ones then the infrastructure would have to double or triple depending on how much off-grid equipment is adopted. I know my house would need an upgraded connection to handle a 50amp charger. I'd probably need a whole extra line and panel if we needed to charge 2 or three cars at once.
bsldld 6y ago
Do a web search for the term "impact investment". You will find some information on what you are looking for.
- fsflover 6y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_investing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_investing
chrisseaton 6y ago
> Are there any well funded tech startups / companies tackling major societal problems? Why would you look to tech companies to do this? Isn't this what charities do?
- hprotagonist 6y ago
  isn't this what governments ought to exist to do? "promote the General Welfare" is within the first 30 words of the Preamble.
  - Ancapistani 6y ago
    Most people believe so, but not all. Even so - if you can solve these problems and make good money while doing so, why wouldn’t you want to?
  - thrill 6y ago
    Promote - as in cheerlead, facilitate, protect - not as in, well, try to do by forcing participation.
    - giantg2 6y ago
      Exactly. It's designed from the perspective of protecting people's rights, and by protecting those rights promotes the common good.
person_of_color 6y ago
Cruise Automation. Startup that pays as well as FAANG.
- person_of_color 6y ago
  Holy downvotes
TYPE_FASTER 6y ago
Check out the startups working at incubators like Greentown Labs: https://greentownlabs.com/ https://greentownlabs.com/. Not all these companies will make it. There's a risk associated with working on these problems that is not always countered by the rapid revenue growth associated with a well-funded tech company. Having worked at a company that was briefly situated at Greentown, I will say there is an energy associated with working there. It made my optimistic that people are actually working hard on these problems, and we have a chance at solving some of them within my lifetime.
- qchris 6y ago
  I spent about six months a few years back working at a company at Greentown too. Not only are the people and companies there working on some meaningful (and frankly, really cool) technology, but the incubator itself always seemed really well run and was a great space to work in. I'm sure things are a bit more difficult with the current pandemic considering their buildings' layouts (like most open workplaces), but I'd wholeheartedly recommend people interested to taking a serious look.
- logoman04 6y ago
  I spent 18 months working as a SWE at a company within Greentown Labs. I can confirm the companies there are all committed to making a meaningful impact around the domains of clean energy / green technology.
piuspatel 6y ago
DLT labs. They are providing Blockchain solutions check out Walmart logistics they have built for their transport partners.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
matt_s 6y ago
Say you worked in a software development organization that was dysfunctional, shipped updates 3-4 times a year and had lots of infighting/political battles between teams. A vendor came by talking about a new development process with a cool tool touting amazing features - do you think buying into this process plus tool is going to solve your organizational problems? Is tech the right tool to attempt solving societal problems? If Tesla's goal was to have an impact on climate change they should allow other car companies to purchase their batteries and motors to build from. Or actually build an economical car, sub $25k, no self-driving or fancy features, no performance mode, etc. Just a working, fully electric car that any working-class person could buy, globally. That would have much more impact than building luxury electric vehicles.
- WhompingWindows 6y ago
  Well, Tesla has done a bit of work with other automakers, but it's probably not in their shareholders' best interest to give away their huge lead in BEV tech. So, why doesn't Tesla build that cheaper, smaller, lower-range car? It's probably because the profits in it are much smaller, and they need profits to justify their insane valuation. Every quarterly report on TSLA is sliced apart by thousands of analysts, is it in their best interest to make less profit and do slightly more good by electrifying slightly more miles? What if they went bankrupt or lost on a bunch of funding due to this strategy, and then BEVs would be set back a decade? I'd buy the modest car myself, yes, but I don't think that it's the most financially sound way to proceed...their strategy of starting at the high-end, low-volume side seems to have worked well, so that's what they're sticking with. FWIW, I think the Model 3 is already even on costs with the plurality of new vehicle purchases in America, which with options often range from 30-50k depending on the make.
- beisner 6y ago
  Tech alone CAN be a solution to large social problems, but typically not directly. Instead, it has to make some socially-“good” effect the inevitable consequence of making something else cheaper/more efficient. Renewable tech (ie solar, wind) is an excellent example of this phenomenon, where we are finally getting to the point where you don’t need to appeal to people’s morals/values to get their energy companies to use renewables - they’re now simply cheaper in a lot of regions! Because tech improved in the right direction, greed and economic efficiency have become much more aligned with reduced environmental impact. So the way I like to think about problems is this: what technology, if it existed, would solve this problem even when people/societies act entirely in their own self-interest (given how many world economies typically function)? Morality is a luxury few feel they can afford, so make the moral choice cheaper.
lrobinovitch 6y ago
Stuff that Saul Griffith works on: https://www.saulgriffith.com/ https://www.saulgriffith.com/ In particular, Otherlab companies: https://www.otherlab.com/ https://www.otherlab.com/
fsflover 6y ago
One could argue that Purism, Social Purpose Corporation, is trying to fight with pollution (by providing devices with lifetime updates and choosing their sources) and supports human rights (by using exclusively free software, by creating a new market for surveillance-free user-respecting devices, by trying to shift manufacturing from China to USA). https://puri.sm/about/manufacturing-and-sourcing/ https://puri.sm/about/manufacturing-and-sourcing/ Not sure if you consider them "well funded" though.
- stann 6y ago
  From China to US... surveillance-free?
  - fsflover 6y ago
    You can inspect all their source code. They also publish schematics and x-ray images of their phone.
  - 3np 6y ago
    I’m so bummed out that they’re basing themselves and manufacturing in the US. It’s such a risk that it’s difficult to make sense of the reasoning with anything else than that they’re already compromised, possibly simply by funding capital that comes with conditions. Not saying I believe that’s the case but how else can you explain it?
    - fsflover 6y ago
      I do not understand people who think that trusting a company is all about geography or funding. The real trust should be built when you and everyone else can verify everything and speak up whenever something is wrong. Most companies do not even allow any reasonable verification (by closing their sources and schematics). Purism is the most transparent company I know.
      - 3np 6y ago
        The problem with the US specifically is that the intentions of the current team and founders doesn’t decide in the end. It’s entirely plausible for them to be compromised and gagged, against their will. It’s also not necessarily something that more than a very small number of people in the company needs to be aware of. This is due to how legislation and the operations of federal agencies work. Over the past decade, I feel USA has become pretty damn close China in this regard if you put all countries on some kind of scale. Anywhere in the EU would have had way less of that risk. I could also add that I had similar feelings with Keybase for a long time; promising team, solution and openness (though not to the extent of Purism). My main gripe was the US location. And then they were acquired by Zoom. This kind of nihilistic dynamic is also more common with US businesses, even if it’s just a cultural thing.
dangus 6y ago
If you want to use your technical skills to make a difference in the world, a lot of less glamorous options are out there: working for a non-profit, working for a university, school system, library system, or other government entity of your choosing. > One example I've heard so far is Tesla. Any others? Lol, Tesla is not an example. They are a carmaker. Nothing Tesla does will change the world for the better. In fact investing in automobiles in any form is counter-productive when we should be reverting post-war city design mistakes. The best thing for the world would be to live in walkable communities with inter-city trains taking care of long-distance travel. Tesla is a great example of the flaw in your question: looking toward a highly-funded company out to change the world is an impossibility. Highly funded companies are expected to produce revenue growth. That’s it. There’s no such thing as a for-profit company out to solve world problems unless solving those problems involves increasing profit. So, like I said, what you’re looking for is probably a non-profit, a government agency, or research institution. And don’t expect to get highly competitive salary to do work that helps people.
- eadan 6y ago
  This is such a cynical outlook on the world. Of course there are for-profit companies -- most I would argue -- that have a positive impact on the world, and Tesla is one such example.
- digitalmaster 6y ago
  > "Highly funded companies are expected to produce revenue growth." Yup, this is exactly what I was hoping wasn't true: That it's impossible to be both well funded, high revenue growth AND do so while tackling a meaningful problem. --- Don't want to make this thread about all the ways in which Tesla is a bad example (just first one that came to mind).
audenaert 6y ago
What it means for a well-funded company to tackle big, meaningful problems? Most (not all) of the people (engineers, founders, leaders, etc) I talk to want to work on these problems. Google and Facebook are both driven by missions to do this. They get a lot of things right. They also get a lot of things wrong. So does Microsoft. But take a look at the mission and impact of both the Gates Foundation and the Zuckerberg-Chan foundation and I think you'll see that the founders care deeply about the impact that they are having. Execution on that impact is another matter. The best companies focus on a specific well defined problem. When looking at companies, ask what problem they are trying to solve. Is this a mission that you can get excited about? Next, is the company approaching this problem from a direction that resonates with you? Is there approach likely to work? What are the risks and potential side effects? Facebook has done a lot of amazing and wonderful things. It's also created some problems. You have to balance that tension. All well-intentioned efforts come with risks regardless of whether those efforts originate from government, non-profit or business activities. I'd encourage you not to slip to far into a cynical view of the world. Yes, there are lots of problems. Fantastic. Focus on what you can change and go find solutions.
zaphod12 6y ago
How about a tech company using data to accelerate the creation and approval of cancer fighting drugs: flatiron.com (acquired a couple of years ago, but still independently operated) Interested in improving the state of the art in detecting cancer - paigeai is building automated pathology tools. A somewhat USA specific one, but goodrx is helping folks afford medications. Quite a few of those "issues" in your link get you way past traditional Tech company turf, but all will need software engineers! There are a lot of cool biotech companies out there who would need software engineers!
tosmith 6y ago
At CIONIC, we're tackling how to overcome disability through precision bionics. Whether a diagnosis at birth (Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida) or an acquired disease or impairment (Parkinson's, issues resulting from a stroke), we're engineering sleek, wearable solutions that will provide comprehensive analysis and precise augmentation to enhance human performance, restore physical function and increase independence. Check out more information here: https://cionic.com/ https://cionic.com/
- jsin 6y ago
  This looks cool. Why do you think this hasn’t been done before?
  - tosmith 6y ago
    Good question. I think it's the right time for the confluence of technology and human need. It's not an easy problem, but it's an important one
bjacobt 6y ago
Loon from Google/Alphabet [1]. They are attempting to connect remote and rural areas of the world. They are currently providing commercial service in a difficult to reach/low ARPU area in Kenya [2]. Loon uses standard 3GPP (LTE) protocols, so devices are available at low cost and even lower in used markets. I don't work for Loon or Google, just interested in HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellites) to provide low cost connectivity. [1] https://loon.com/ https://loon.com/ [2] https://medium.com/loon-for-all/loon-is-live-in-kenya-259d81c75a7a https://medium.com/loon-for-all/loon-is-live-in-kenya-259d81... Edit: fixed references
- Mayzie 6y ago
  Wow, Project Loon. It’s been a while since I’ve thought about it. It seems kind of pointless now, doesn’t it? StarLink will displace it in a couple of years.
  - harha 6y ago
    Would be nice to see a benchmark on large scale deployment overall and individual cost, reliability, etc. I also think that fast(er) internet without relying on governments could be interesting for many people in presumably developed countries like France and Germany and make living outside of large cities much more attractive to many.
  - bjacobt 6y ago
    One disadvantage with Starlink is the need for external antenna. With HAPS, project Loon and HAPS Mobile [1], you can use regular mobile phones and modems making it cost effective for most people. The idea would be for an operator to have terrestrial network in urban/sub urban areas and high altitude cell towers in less dense areas. This way you can use the same subscription and device. Starlink could also be used to provide backhaul to cell towers which work with standard 3GPP protocol and provide the same service as terrestrial networks. HAPS Mobile has got a good video (< 5 min) on what it is and their vision [2] [1] https://www.hapsmobile.com/en/ https://www.hapsmobile.com/en/ [2] https://youtu.be/zxWODb6Uqgs https://youtu.be/zxWODb6Uqgs Edit: I've no affiliation with HAPS Mobile, Softbank, Google :)
doitLP 6y ago
If you’re interested in having an impact I highly recommend visiting https://80000hours.org/ https://80000hours.org/ The biggest impacts can often be made in areas that are most neglected and have high negative or positive outcomes. At the very least it will help you form a mental model of how to spend your time and the types of problems to focus on.
- kuzee 6y ago
  Thanks for sharing. Their emphasis on the neglectedness of an issue and focusing on the margins is great.
- digitalmaster 6y ago
  This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
anandpdoshi 6y ago
Plenty (https://plenty.ag https://plenty.ag) is trying to scale hydroponics using plant science and automation. (I worked here till a few months ago.) Indoor agriculture is going to supplement our nutrition needs in the future. Plenty is focusing on flavor as its selling point, and after eating Plenty produce, everything else seems like eating cardboard.
- kickout 6y ago
  Why'd you leave--just curious?
  - anandpdoshi 6y ago
    I wanted to do more creative work, whereas the work at Plenty was more about problem solving.
    - digitalmaster 6y ago
      Oh interesting, I guess I've always thought about problem solving and creativity as being one and the same. Mind expanding on this a bit?
      - kyawzazaw 6y ago
        Not OP but I feel like I can an example here. The workplace I am at solves a very prevalent set of problems For retail industry. But there is nothing creative about it. (Of course, there are some creative workarounds but it wouldn’t be characterized as creative work)
      - anandpdoshi 6y ago
        Ah I should have been more specific. For some context, I learned software development on the job and later studied Human-Computer Interaction. I want to be at the intersection of software and design. Software Engineering at Plenty involved a lot of creative problem solving. But I wanted to work on visually creative projects. Some of my initial projects at Plenty did involve interactive UIs, but as I gained better understanding of our stack, I was required to do a lot more back-end work which wasn’t very exciting to me.
tapatio 6y ago
Lol. Nope.
chris_st 6y ago
International Justice Mission [1] and Thorn [2] are tackling child trafficking, sex trafficking, and modern-day slavery successfully (IJM internationally, Thorn in the US). [1] https://www.ijm.org https://www.ijm.org [2] https://www.thorn.org https://www.thorn.org
fsflover 6y ago
https://fairphone.com https://fairphone.com
westurner 6y ago
You can make an impact by solving important local and global problems by investing your time, career, and savings; by listing and comparing solutions. As a labor market participant, you can choose to work for places that have an organizational mission that strategically aligns with local, domestic, and international objectives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_alignment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_alignment ... "Schema.org: Mission, Project, Goal, Objective, Task" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12525141 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12525141 As an investor, you can choose to invest in organizations that are making the sort of impact you're looking for: you can impact invest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_investing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_investing You mentioned "List of global issues"; which didn't yet have a link to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (the #GlobalGoals). I just added this to the linked article: > As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Millenium Development Goals (2000-2015) were superseded by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030), which are also known as The Global Goals. There are associated Targets and Indicators for each Global Goal. There are 17 Global Goals. Sustainability reporting standards can align with the Sustainable Development Goals. For example, the GRI standards are now aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals Investors, fund managers, and potential employees can identify companies which are making an impact by reviewing corporate sustainability and ESG reports. From https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-12-responsible-consumption-and-production/targets.html https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-develo... : > SDG Target 12.6: "Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle" From https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21302926 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21302926 : > > What are some of the corporate sustainability reporting standards? > > From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability_reporting#Initiatives https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability_reporting#Initi... : > >> Organizations can improve their sustainability performance by measuring (EthicalQuote (CEQ)), monitoring and reporting on it, helping them have a positive impact on society, the economy, and a sustainable future. The key drivers for the quality of sustainability reports are the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),[3] (ACCA) award schemes or rankings. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines enable all organizations worldwide to assess their sustainability performance and disclose the results in a similar way to financial reporting.[4] The largest database of corporate sustainability reports can be found on the website of the United Nations Global Compact initiative. > >The GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) Standards are now aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (#GlobalGoals). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Reporting_Initiative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Reporting_Initiative > >> In 2017, 63 percent of the largest 100 companies (N100), and 75 percent of the Global Fortune 250 (G250) reported applying the GRI reporting framework.[3] What are some good ways to search for companies who (1) do sustainability reports, (2) engage in strategic alignment in corporate planning sessions, (3) make sustainability a front-and-center issue in their company's internal and external communications? What are some examples of companies who have a focus on sustainability and/or who have developed a nonprofit organization for philanthropic missions which are sometimes best accounted for as a distinct organization or a business unit (which can accept and offer receipts for donations as a non-profit)? How can an employee drive change in a small or a large company? Identify opportunities to deliver value and goodwill. Read through the Global Goals, Targets, and Indicators; and get into the habit of writing down problems and solutions. 3 pillars of [Corporate] Sustainability: (Environment (Society (Economy))). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability#Three_dimensions_of_sustainability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability#Three_dimension...
profthrow 6y ago
comma.ai
maxmorlocke 6y ago
Lexria (https://www.lexria.com https://www.lexria.com) is focused on helping solve student loan debt issues through bankruptcy.
aaron695 6y ago
Lol, most suggested here are garbage. Childish 'solutions' designed to just suck money from people pretending to help. Elons stuff is all amazing. Starlink looks world changing. Grab I also think is an amazing one. But it bought out a lot of smaller companies. So you can argue who made the biggest change, I haven't tracked down the evolution. But I think it'll be acknowledged for what it did at some point as world changing. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grab_(company) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grab_(company)
- harha 6y ago
  > Lol, most suggested here are garbage. Childish 'solutions' designed to just suck money from people pretending to help. > Grab I also think is an amazing one Could you elaborate?
  - aaron695 6y ago
    This is an amazing quote - William Gibson - "The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed." Expect it's a lie. It's not cyberpunk. It's boringpunk. It's teaching midwives how to wash their hands before delivering a birth. And that is the future. Knowing about incredibly small things you can never see but still exist and how to kill them, which just washing your hands. And a thousands other boring things that are not yet evenly distributed. This is how you tackle big issues, like Grab which is just a copy of Uber, but for the poor. I think there is a Generic Uber framework that came first that laid the way. But I could never find who created it.
psmithsfhn 6y ago
Telsa, Gates Foundation, etc. Ugh. Please stop 'helping' us. My general guess is that anything actually worthwhile will have little to no private funding behind it. Global heating. Racism. Soil extinction. Fascism. Disenfranchisement. Inequality. Female disempowerment. etc. I guess there is government cheese for global heating. Not sure how much useful work would be done outside of government-run and/or -funded laboratories. And anything that could potentially start out as being at least notionally-well-intentioned will come around to being not that. My general thinking at this point is I have to find or help to create a small, well-organized group of people who start a not-funded social movement that will oppose almost everything most philanthropists and investors and do-gooders actually care about.
- digitalmaster 6y ago
  This is exactly what I was hoping this thread would disprove. But so far I think you're probably right. Private interest just doesn't seem to be seriously willing or able to tackle the big issues.
WMCRUN 6y ago
Sahara Forest Project https://www.saharaforestproject.com/ https://www.saharaforestproject.com/ Desalination + desert greening + solar + farming. Awesome
doopy-loopy2 6y ago
Tesla
mstatner 6y ago
Forward (https://goforward.com/technology https://goforward.com/technology) is building an entirely new healthcare system to empower doctors with advanced tools to facilitate early detection, prevention, and personalized care – supported by data – with a nationwide network of primary care clinics in cities across the country. If you’re interested in playing a major part in one of the most ambitious missions of the past decade and want to work with individuals who use their talents for good, then you should check out Forward. See our open roles here: https://goforward.com/eng https://goforward.com/eng, or reach out to me directly at marissa@goforward.com with your resume. Check out this article written by our CEO, Adrian, about how we plan to rewire the healthcare system here: https://blog.goforward.com/dont-bail-out-healthcare-rewire-it-fe2d8ad7a5f6 https://blog.goforward.com/dont-bail-out-healthcare-rewire-i... Watch a video tour of one of our doctor's offices here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnJEsoGmh-8&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnJEsoGmh-8&feature=youtu.be
- digitalmaster 6y ago
  This seems like a good one! Thanks for sharing.
Michael_Sieb 6y ago
Type Studio disrupts all the over engineered video editors by developing a text-based editing approach. https://typestudio.co https://typestudio.co
sgtnoodle 6y ago
I've been working at Zipline for over four years now. We're building a scalable and reliable UAV based delivery system with a focus on making medical supplies accessible to all humans that need them. We're operating distribution centers in Rwanda, Ghana, and North Carolina, and I believe we're still the only such system operating in production. I'm an embedded software engineer, and I work on a lot on the firmware running in the vehicles, as well as in all the various ground equipment we've developed to make our system easier to operate. I also touch a lot of "high level" python to build out developer tools and when interfacing to the company's broader software stacks. It's important for our system to be as automated as possible so that we can hire and train local flight operators to serve their communities with minimal engineering support. I think that's something really cool about Zipline. Our flight operators are the most awesome, dedicated employees, and they're in the trenches launching hundreds of flights per day through extreme rain, heat and cold. I want to say that something like 1/3 of flights are for medical emergencies, too. I've been very happy working here, also. It's a really good group of people. Everyone's dedicated and self motivated to move quickly, without compromising family or work life balance. We try to keep communication within the company as flat and direct as possible, too. There's no corporate politics or egos to maneuver around. Our CEO's car is one of the crappier cars in the parking lot. For surprise medical reasons I had to take quite a bit of time off at a really quite terrible time in the schedule earlier this year, and my coworkers happily picked up the slack and sent me an embarrassing amount of very luxurious chocolate. Since I joined, my team has grown from just me to about a dozen people, and all the growth has done is made us busier with all the cool projects we're taking on. We're generally always hiring across the company, and especially on the embedded engineering team. Since I've been around a while, I tend to focus on broad architectural work while helping out on whatever project is the most on fire, and try to give newer team members a chance to focus on projects that they can own long term. https://flyzipline.com/careers/ https://flyzipline.com/careers/ This is what I've been working on improving this past week. If you sign an NDA, I can tell what relevance it has to 1980s rap music... https://youtu.be/FeSCEalMOL8?t=85 https://youtu.be/FeSCEalMOL8?t=85

twunde 6y ago
I was actually thinking about the long-distance transmission lines, but that's a good point about potentially needing to upgrade local lines. As a non-EV owner, I can't discuss much but I was under the impression that you could just plug in to a normal wall socket for a slow charge. I suspect that you're referring to the Level 2 quick charging station. If that's the case, that would certainly impact you depending on how old your house is and whether you're running your own solar panels FYI, if you have a source, I'd be interested in reading about it.
- giantg2 6y ago
  I can't find the original article I saw this in (8 or so yrs ago), but here's one that talks about some of the infrastructure sizing issues (45 vs 100 kVA). The second one talks about current grid storage/production and the need for increased capacity. Good news is that we are nowhere close to the breaking point, but the numbers in the article are way less than if all (or even half of) cars were replaced with EVs. It should take a long time to get to that level of adoption anyways. At least for me, I would want access to fast charging options, whether in homes or at dedicated stations for trips. The 8 hour charge is great for daily usage though. I wonder how that time can hold up as the range gets longer (increased capacity with same 15 amp wall plug). https://www.fleetcarma.com/ev-clustered-charging-can-problematic-electrical-utilities/ https://www.fleetcarma.com/ev-clustered-charging-can-problem... https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-influx-electric-vehicles-grid.html https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-influx-electric-vehicles...
  - twunde 6y ago
    Thanks for adding the sources. I'm 80% sure that The Grid [https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Fraying-Between-Americans-Energy-ebook/dp/B01DM9Q6CQ https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Fraying-Between-Americans-Energy...] had discussed electric cars helping solve some of the distribution/transmission problems, but that was from the view of the large power companies, not the smaller local munis (and maybe paired with smart meters? It's been a while since I read it). However, after reading the two articles you cited, it's actually just moving the bottleneck and in the wrong direction to a point where it's harder to manage changes.
giantg2 6y ago
Not sure why people are downvoting this.

Denzel 6y ago

> If Tesla's goal was to have an impact on climate change they should allow other car companies to purchase their batteries and motors to build from. They have and they did. [1] You have it backwards. The other car companies have chosen not to purchase batteries and motors from Tesla anymore. Tesla wanted to be a spark. They thought, worst-case scenario: other car companies will come and dominate, and we'll be positioned as a supplier with the best technology. Well, that didn't happen. So now we have a simple dilemma. Tesla needs $$$. $$$ represents choices, research, development, improvement, etc. (Did I mention that Tesla's constant investment in battery technology has been driving down the cost across the industry?) Let's say they want to shutter their car business and just supply batteries and drivetrains. We'll put the cost of a battery pack at $10k. Like any supplier, when selling to other car companies, they have to add X% markup to cover their future goals, research, development, etc. Now, other car companies pay $15k for the battery pack, which leaves $10k left over for all the other parts of the car to reach break-even on that $25k economical car. Margins are already thin, that ain't gonna work. Well, Tesla could just sell the battery packs at cost since they care so much, right? Just so happens Tesla raised $5B. $5B / $10k = 500k battery packs. Great! But there were 17 million vehicles sold in the U.S. alone last year... that's a drop in the bucket. Tesla would need $150B / yr just to sell enough batteries to other car companies at cost. That ain't gonna work. So where do we end up? Well, Tesla can "supply" the battery pack to their self at $10k because, well, it's their battery pack. Thus bestowing a competitive advantage upon their company. > Or actually build an economical car, sub $25k That's the plan. Do you not see their steps towards accomplishing that goal? Tesla literally laid out their plan from the beginning: start at the upper end of the market to capture enough money to throw into R&D such that they can work their way down the curve into the more economical price range. Not sure how this isn't obvious from Tesla Roadster ($150k+), Model S ($75k+), Model X ($80k+), Model 3 ($35k+) ... By the way, you don't get down to a $25k car unless the parts that go into that car cost less than $25k. Tesla has been working to drive those costs down since the inception of their company. Evidence being the many factories they're building and the working partnership they've maintained for R&D on batteries with Panasonic. > no self-driving Self-driving is an add-on. It's not included in the base price of a vehicle. > no performance mode Once again, another lineup. Not the base model. > Just a working, fully electric car that any working-class person could buy, globally Working-class person with a Model 3 checking in. Similarly the Model 3 price point put it firmly within the grasp of my parents who have subsisted on Toyota Camry's and Honda Accord's their whole lives. Their next car will be a Model 3. > That would have much more impact than building luxury electric vehicles. Yeah. Tesla agrees. They're getting there. I'm not sure what they've done in the past two decades hasn't proven that. [1]: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/when-tesla-partnered-with-the-major-automakers-coopetition-with-toyota-and-daimler-book-excerpt https://evannex.com/blogs/news/when-tesla-partnered-with-the...

matt_s 6y ago
The OP asked if there are startups "tackling major societal problems". Tackling to me means that is the number one goal - tackling the actual problem, not a by-product. Tesla makes luxury cars which is 5% of all car sales (Model 3 included, it starts at $38k). Tesla is 5th in market share for luxury cars in 2019 at 9.78% [0]. That means of all car sales in 2019, Tesla accounted for 0.5%. I'm not bashing Tesla, they make cool products (except that truck concept, that looks like ass), these are just the stats. I understand their eventual goal is to have previous products help reduce cost for future ones but the impact on reducing CO2 levels by Tesla cars alone is probably not much at this point. It would be like a new airplane manufacturer starts up and says they want to address the world's transition to sustainable energy and they are going to start with the Learjet/executive flyer market first. I wouldn't say that company is "tackling a major societal problem" I would say they're building a boutique business that as a by-product reduces CO2. [0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/287620/luxury-vehicles-united-states-premium-vehicle-market-share/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/287620/luxury-vehicles-u...