A surprising announcement rippled through Silicon Valley in the Spring of 2017. A mysterious 'flying car' venture took the spotlight, fueled by rumors of Google co-founder Larry Page's involvement. A marvel of engineering, this all-electric innovation promised to reduce traffic congestion and open the skies for dreamers—a moonshot that captivated engineers, futurists, and tech enthusiasts. But over time, that moonshot started to look more like a longshot. With Page’s financial backing and abundant resources, how could this project have possibly failed?

Hear the full story on episode 62 of The Great Fail. Special thanks for Hugh Langley for his contributions to this episode. Shoutout to Adweek and Acast.

Sources:

Throwback Thursday: The Rise and Fall of Flying-Car Startup Kittyhawk

Kitty Hawk, the electric aircraft moonshot backed by Larry Page, is shutting down

Inside the rise and fall of Kittyhawk, Larry Page's failed flying car company

How Larry Page's flying-car company of the future turned into a stunning failure

Kittyhawk: Employees should “blindly” trust Larry Page

Where Kittyhawk Failed: The Case of Disruptive Technologies Case Study

Larry Page’s Flying Car Failure Is a Lesson For Us All

Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk air taxi startup is shutting down

Hewlett-Packard: The Flight of the Kittyhawk (A) Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

Inside the rise and fall of Kittyhawk

Google co-founder’s flying car startup is winding down

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Episode 62: Kittyhawk: From Moonshot to a Longshot