How Alphabet Picks Its Moonshot Projects

X is the "moonshot factory" for Google parent Alphabet Inc.--a place to work on projects, like autonomous vehicles, that have the potential to radically reshape the world. To get insights into how the operation works, and why it celebrates failure, The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Blumenstein spoke with Astro Teller, captain of the factory. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation. BLUMENSTEIN: How do you decide which projects to tackle? TELLER: There has to be some huge problem with the world that we can name and say that we're excited about going to tackle.