EMBA的小眼睛

The self-driving reset of just about everything in our cities

Self-driving cars are going to be a huge transformational disruption, and they're probably going to happen faster than most people expect.

Starting in cities, starting with car-sharing, the economics and safety implications are too big to avoid:

• Few traffic jams--cars will have a slower top speed, but rarely stop
• No traffic lights--cars talk to each other
• Dramatically less pollution
• Pedestrians are far safer, bicycling becomes fun again
• No parking issues--the car drives away and comes back when you need it
• Lower costs and more access for more people more often
• Instant and efficient carpooling, since the car knows who's going where
• Most of the physical world around us is organized around traditional cars. Not just roads, but the priority they get, the roadside malls, fast food restaurants, the fact that in many cities, more space is devoted to parking lots than just about anything else. It's pervasive and accepted, so much that we notice with amazement the rare places that aren't built around them.

Understand, for example, that the suburb exists because of the car, as does the big amusement park and the motel. All of them were built by people who saw the changes private mobility would cause.

The self-driving car benefits from Moore's Law, which explains that computers get dramatically cheaper over time, and Metcalfe's Law, which describes the increasing power of networks as they get bigger and more connected. Both of these laws are now at work on one of the biggest expenses and most powerful forces in our world: transportation.

Two elements of an apology

Compassion and Contrition

"We're sorry that your flight was cancelled. This must have truly messed up your day, sir."

That's a statement of compassion.

"Cancelling a flight that a valued customer trusted us to fly is not the way we like to do business. We messed up, it was an error in judgment for us to underinvest in pilot allocation. Even worse, we didn't do everything we could to get you on a flight that would have helped your schedule. We'll do better next time."

黃永昌 細數爭取自來水政績