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In this episode, I chat with Jon McNeill, a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and industry executive. Prior to his current CEO and co-founder role at DVx Ventures, Jon was President at Tesla and COO at Lyft. We talk about Jon's background, the recent Tesla robotaxi launch, and Tesla’s approach to autonomy, especially compared to other top players like Waymo.

We also discuss the potential market shifts due to autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the impacts on Uber and Lyft. Jon shares insights on hardware and software developments, market sizes, media misunderstandings about Tesla, and future trends in the AV space. We close the conversation with a discussion on investment opportunities in the AV sector and Jon’s role at DVX Ventures.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Jon McNeill

(01:30) First impressions and thoughts on the Tesla robotaxi rollout

(02:50) Jon’s experience at Tesla, and how it might play into autonomy

(05:00) Thoughts on the media coverage and market perception of Tesla

(07:28) How does Tesla compare to Waymo’s hardware and software?

(13:34) Thoughts on robotaxi scalability and market impact for Tesla vs Waymo

(17:35) What do you think of Uber and Lyft’s position in the AV space?

(19:43) Waymo's impact on rideshare in San Francisco?

(20:17) Consumer comfort in autonomous vehicles

(20:47) Uber and Lyft’s strategic moves to stay in the game

(21:08) Rideshare demand and supply dynamics with autonomous vehicles

(22:37) Future market predictions for Uber and Lyft

(23:09) Does Waymo need Uber more than Uber needs Waymo?

(28:04) How Does Waymo solve the utilization problem without Uber

(29:57) How autonomy fits into DVx Ventures business

(33:30) Current untapped opportunities in the AV/Autonomy space for entrepreneurs and Founders

(35:19) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Notes/Links:

* RSG093: Why Lyft COO Jon McNeill is All About The Drivers! (link).

- Harry

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In this episode, I chat with Professor Philip Koopman, a top voice in Autonomous Vehicle safety with nearly 30 years of experience in the field, and a longtime professor and researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. We talk about his transition out of academia, what originally motivated his writing on AV safety, and how the industry’s been responding (or not responding) to the standards he’s been advocating for.

Phil shares his take on Waymo’s safety record, Tesla’s robotaxi launch, and why measuring AV safety isn’t as simple as counting injuries and crashes. We also get into how public trust is built—or lost—and what AV companies need to be thinking about as they move from pilot to scale.

Just a note: we recorded this episode on 6/17 before Tesla’s robotaxi launch but focused 90% of the conversation on more broad AV themes and evergreen topics.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Professor Philip Koopman

(01:31) Phil's transition from academia to consulting?

(02:14) What was the motivation behind Phil's writing on AV safety?

(05:20) Phil’s general outlook on the AV industry and companies.

(10:22) Thoughts on Waymo's safety record and industry challenges?

(17:50) How do freeways impact AV safety?

(21:24) What are the objective measures for AV safety?

(23:18) Some AV industry safety standards?

(24:46) What’s the flaw in counting injuries and fatalities in AV safety reporting?

(26:44) Real world examples of safety incidents beyond injuries and fatalities

(28:53) Legal implications of negligence

(31:55) Public perception and trust in AV technology, and how they’re shaped

(35:18) AV Companies’ outlook on public perception.

(39:14) What are your thoughts on Tesla’s Robotaxi deployment?

(47:10) Final thoughts and advice for AV companies

Phil Koopman’s Substack: Autonomous System Safety by Phil Koopman

- Harry

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In today’s episode, I speak with Thomas von der Ohe, co-founder and CEO of Vay, a company transforming mobility with its automotive-grade Remote Driving technology. Vay’s door-to-door service provides a convenient alternative to both autonomous driving and private car ownership.

Thomas shares how Vay’s unique approach to remote driving differs from full autonomy, and discusses the company’s B2C driverless rental car service now available in Las Vegas. We also dive into their growing B2B strategy, and a newly announced partnership with Kodiak Robotics to enable remotely-driven trucks.

He also touches on the broader potential of this technology across sectors like personal vehicles, defense, agriculture, and package delivery — all part of Vay’s mission to reduce private car ownership and pave the way for safer, greener cities.

Kodiak Robotics Partnership

Vay’s new partnership with autonomous trucking company Kodiak Robotics will incorporate assisted autonomy technology into Kodiak’s fully autonomous technology stack. This allows Kodiak to complement its fully autonomous operations with remote human assistance as needed, enabling a human to remotely control a truck in certain low-speed and clearly-defined scenarios that benefit from human involvement. This is crucial because, as Kodiak Robotics Founder & CEO Don Burnette puts it:

No matter the maturity of an autonomous driving system, there are still scenarios that will benefit from human assistance, if only as a backup. Assisted Autonomy can be helpful in situations such as interpreting law enforcement hand signals. Rather than recreating the wheel on a remote assistance solution, we have chosen to partner with Vay, in our opinion, the industry leader, which we believe will expedite our ability to safely scale.

I like this hybrid approach since Vay can effectively use remote drivers to solve ‘the last 1% of autonomy’ and leave the more straightforward parts of autonomous driving to Kodiak. Take a listen to the episode and let us know what you think.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Thomas von der Ohe and Vay

01:24 - What sets Vay apart in the AV landscape

02:24 - How Vay Driverless Rental Cars in Las Vegas work

04:22 - What is Vay’s expansion into B2B and partnership with Kodiak about?

05:01 - What are the skepticisms around remote driving?

08:03 - Background on Kodiak Robotics

09:14 - Details of Vay’s application in Kodiak’s autonomous driving

10:49 - Benefits of remote driving jobs

12:45 - How Vay solves the last 1% of autonomous driving.

16:27 - Some new verticals and opportunities for Vay’s remote driving tech

23:44 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Link to trucking video mentioned at 09:12 - Truck Driver Salary: Here's What It's REALLY Like to Be a Truck Driver!!

- Harry

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In this episode, I interview Will Coleman, co-founder and CEO of Alto, an innovative rideshare and delivery service emphasizing safety, hospitality, and consistency. Will discusses Alto's operations in multiple U.S. cities, their unique business model involving employed drivers and owned vehicles, and their strategic focus on fleet management as a foundation for electric and autonomous mobility.

Most importantly, the conversation delves into Alto's newest partnership with Uber, the complexities of fleet management, and the differentiation factors contributing to their success, such as lower insurance costs and high service quality. Will also touches on the benefits and challenges of scaling, and shares insights on the future of autonomous vehicles in the rideshare industry.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Will Coleman and Alto

01:09 - Will's alternate bio and podcast introduction

02:57 - Alto's unique business model

04:06 - Challenges of fleet management

08:54 - Partnership with Uber

16:18 - Benefits of Alto's model for Uber

21:56 - Unique experience in the rideshare industry

23:30 - Challenges and solutions in fleet management

27:14 - The Alto Fleet and electrification

29:25 - Potential Downsides of the Partnership

34:00 - Alto’s Place in the Autonomous Vehicle Market

38:25 - Alto’s reaction to the Waymo Business

40:46 - Future Plans and Closing Remarks

- Harry

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Join Harry, Richard Willder, Global Head of Autonomous Policy at Uber, and Sergei Kirillov, Chief Commercial Officer at Avride, as they discuss Uber’s vision for the future of autonomous mobility and delivery. As the AV industry scales up, companies are taking different paths—some going all-in on full autonomy, while others, like Uber, are building hybrid networks that combine self-driving and human-driven vehicles. So why is Uber betting on this approach? How are they working with over 14 AV partners? What does this mean for workers, city infrastructure, and the future of transportation? We dig into all that and more in this conversation.

Chapters

00:04 - Intros

00:55 - What Uber and Avride is currently working on regarding autonomous technology

07:05 - What Uber brings to the table for AV partners.

09:30 - What makes a city or market ideal for AV deployment

11:25 - How AV deployment can benefit cities

13:10 - Potential downsides of AVs to cities and mitigations

14:40 - The value of autonomous mobility and delivery for Uber

19:00 - How Uber approaches balancing driver interests with AV rollout

21:40 - Will AVs create or reduce opportunities for human workers long-term?

25:00 - When do people prefer AVs vs human drivers for mobility and delivery?

27:54 - Final thoughts and closing comments

- Harry

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In this pilot episode of the TDD podcast, I sat down with Jeremy Bird, EVP of Driver Experience at Lyft. We chatted about his role and responsibilities, including his focus on autonomous vehicles (AV) and their integration into Lyft’s services.

Jeremy talked about the importance of being real with drivers about what AVs mean for them, highlighting the potential for a hybrid future where both AVs and human-driven cars coexist. He also shared some news about Lyft’s upcoming partnership with May Mobility to roll out AVs on the platform, and stresses the need for economic mobility and support for drivers. We got into topics like driver earnings, transparency, a new rewards program, and ways Lyft is helping drivers to advance or transition in their careers. Even with all the changes AVs might bring, Jeremy made it clear that the goal is to grow the overall market, and make things better for both drivers and riders.

Chapters

00:36 - Intros

2:13 - What is Lyft’s main focus right now?

5:00 - Should drivers be worried about AVs?

7:07 - What has the growth in San Francisco been like?

10:04 - How will Lyft assist drivers with the rise of AVs?

13:15 - How would the ride options be for human drivers/riders in the future?

17:40 - Are human drivers in competition with AVs?

25:06 - Will drivers earn less money because of AVs?

29:29 - Will driving for Lyft get better or worse in the future?

31:20 - What drives Lyft’s success?

34:53 - How does Lyft compare with Uber?

38:48 - Where to learn more about Lyft and what they’re up to.

- Harry

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thedriverlessdigest.com