A Self-Driving Tangent and 2 Upcoming Events
See Our Live-Recording of Our First Ride in a Waymo Robotaxi
Our Waymo Ride
On Sunday, our Palo Alto-based son Dayton invited us to go for a ride in a Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco. He’s been on the wait list for months and just got invited to join the active membership.
This was our first experience in a self-driving vehicle. It was pretty wild to see the empty driver’s seat even as the steering wheel autonomously guided the car. I’m not sure what it says about me, but I missed chatting with the Lyft driver as I’m accustomed to doing.
Here’s my quick take: The Waymo robotaxi is a better driver than I am. People should be more comfortable with that autonomous vehicle than one I drive.
It is worth noting two quick comparisons.
GM’s Cruise robotaxis have been plying the streets of San Francisco in competition with Waymo for months. The Cruise vehicles have had so many problems their permission to operate without humans in the cars was revoked just days before our Waymo drive.
Tesla hopes to build radically more affordable robotaxis by eliminating much of the tech and relying solely on cameras. The Waymo not only had radar but also four separate LIDAR units (one on top, one on the back and one on each of the front corners). Some doubt whether an autonomous vehicle without this tech could be safe.
Since this topic is somewhat far afield from my usual theme, I’ll refrain from driving this topic to a tidy conclusion. Let’s admit we all have a lot to learn about living in a robot-filled world.
SuperCrowdBaltimore
Recently, we held the first in-person SuperCrowd event in Utah. It was a success with lots of positive feedback.
Our next in-person event will be held November 30, 2023, in Baltimore. We’ve got a great program planned, with extensive content for both entrepreneurs and investors.
The program features local experts and community leaders, including Jenny Owens and Jim Kucher of University of Maryland, Baltimore; author and filmmaker Kevin Shird; regional Kiva manager Lindsae’ Peele; author and crowdfunding lawyer Jenny Kassan, crowdfunding expert Bryan Christie; and community builder Stephen Shaff.
For a limited time, three discounts can be combined to save more than half the total cost of attending. Early-bird pricing lasts through November 16; buy a couple’s package to get a second ticket for a friend, colleague or partner for just $50 and save 30 percent with the discount code SuperCrowd!
Special pricing is also available for full-time students and seniors (62+).
We hope to see you there!
SuperCrowdHour November - How to Raise Capital on Your Own Terms
Even before SuperCrowdBaltimore, we’ll host our monthly SuperCrowdHour webinar with Jenny Kassan, who’ll share insights from her book How to Raise Capital on Your Own Terms.
Jenny has not only helped clients raise capital from the crowd for nearly 20 years, she is an owner at crowdfunding portal Crowdfund Main Street and has raised capital for her own businesses. She’s mastered the art and science of raising capital.
Registration is free! Don’t miss the event on November 15 at 1:00 Eastern/10 Pacific. Click here to register.