https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/20/luminars-austin-russell-we-probably-shouldnt-have-existed-but-lidar-will-drive-next-gen-safety-anyway/

At TC Sessions: Mobility today, Luminar founder and CEO Austin Russell admitted that his now successful company was founded in hubris, but that a skeptical eye during peak lidar hype helped them focus on real markets. “It’s no longer about some theoretical promise – you actually have to show real results, real deliveries, real technology and product. There’s been too many promises made out there that were broken.”

In an interview with TechCrunch transportation editor Kirsten Korosec, Russell noted that he, like pretty much everyone else, was convinced early on that self-driving cars were just around the corner. (Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.)