Cruise angel investor says Waymo's robotaxi has become his 'office on wheels'

Jared Friedman, a Y Combinator group partner and early angel investor in Cruise, has embraced self-driving technology, spending about 4% of his waking hours in Waymo robotaxis in 2024. He uses the Waymo as a mobile office, tethering his laptop to his phone during his commutes in San Francisco. According to Waymo, Friedman is among the top 1% of its riders, having traveled 2,105 miles over 517 trips. His enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles is rooted in his early experiences with Cruise, which was acquired by GM in 2016. Despite GM's recent pullback from Cruise, Friedman remains optimistic about the future of self-driving cars.

Friedman compares the transformative impact of self-driving cars to other technological innovations like the iPhone and ChatGPT. He appreciates the smoothness and safety of Waymo rides compared to traditional ride-hailing services like Uber. While Cruise paused its robotaxi services in October 2023 due to regulatory issues, Friedman continues to rely on Waymo for his transportation needs, highlighting the potential of autonomous vehicles to change how people live and work.

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Jared Friedman, a Y Combinator group partner, spends about 4% of his waking hours in a Waymo robotaxi, using it as a mobile office.
Friedman has traveled 2,105 miles in a Waymo, making 517 trips in 2024, and is in the top 1% of Waymo riders.
He was an early angel investor in Cruise, a robotaxi company acquired by GM, and has been a proponent of self-driving technology for over a decade.
Friedman believes self-driving cars like Waymo offer a smoother and more focused experience compared to traditional ride-sharing services like Uber.

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Cruise angel investor says Waymo's robotaxi has become his 'office on wheels'

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