The Brains Behind Udacity’s Self Driving Car Degree
The Brains Behind Udacity’s Self Driving Car Degree
Most anyone with a degree in a technology field will tell you that it was well worth his or her time, money and effort to earn it. However, with advancements in technology moving so quickly certain degrees can be more valuable, while other degrees can become outdated rather quickly. Therefore, many people who work in the tech industry have to continually update their credentials in order to keep up with the constant changing that takes place.
Audacious Udacity
That’s where a company like Udacity comes into play. Udacity is a for-profit educational organization founded by Sebastian Thrun, David Stevens, and Mike Sokolsky. The organization offers a huge variety of open online courses. Udacity originally offered university-style courses, but the company has since changed its approach to focus more on vocational courses for professionals. If you’re looking to get ahead or simply to keep up in the tech industry, Udacity likely has the courses you need.
Tech Crunch Disrupt
I recently attended Tech Crunch Disrupt in San Francisco where I had the opportunity to speak with and listen to many of the leaders in the tech industry, including Sebastian Thrun of Udacity. TechCrunch Disrupt is the world’s leading authority when it comes to introducing revolutionary startups, debuting game-changing technologies and delving into what stands at the forefront for the tech industry’s key innovators. This conference includes the best and brightest entrepreneurs along with hackers, tech fans and even investors for three days of all things tech.
Self-Driving Nanodegree
During the program, Sebastian spoke about Udacity’s latest self-driving Nanodegree Program and how it will affect the self-driving car industry. “We may be the only institution I believe in the world that will give a credential in the space of self-driving cars.” The funny thing is Udacity doesn’t even have a campus, so it might seem far-fetched that it could hand out a degree for self-driving vehicles. However, according to Sebastian, Udacity wanted to be leading edge and teach the kind of stuff that universities can’t even teach yet because it’s so incredibly new.
Building an Open-Source Platform for Self-Driving Cars
“So we decided to work with Mercedes and Diddy and others to build a curriculum specifically for self-driving cars. The cool thing is we don’t just build the curriculum we actually build the car.” Sebastian said that Udacity’s best students will get a chance to run their software on the car and that they actually hope to open-source all the software they find in hopes that there can be an open-sourced platform for self-driving cars for anybody to use. As for the companies Udacity is working with, they combine their efforts to curate the curriculum. Sebastian said they ask these companies what it would take for them to hire their graduates. The companies then come back with a list of things they are looking for. Udacity then builds its curriculum around these skills that implement projects around those spaces. “So we really derive our curriculum around the industry and that’s our secret sauce.”
We hope you found this article about “The Brains Behind Udacity’s Self Driving Car Degree” helpful. If you have questions or need expert tax or family office advice that’s refreshingly objective (we never sell investments), please contact us or visit our Family office page or our website at www.GROCO.com. Unfortunately, we no longer give advice to other tax professionals gratis.
To receive our free newsletter, contact us here.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more updates.
Alan Olsen, is the Host of the American Dreams Show and the Managing Partner of GROCO.com. GROCO is a premier family office and tax advisory firm located in the San Francisco Bay area serving clients all over the world.
Alan L. Olsen, CPA, Wikipedia Bio
GROCO.com is a proud sponsor of The American Dreams Show.
The American Dreams show was the brainchild of Alan Olsen, CPA, MBA. It was originally created to fill a specific need; often inexperienced entrepreneurs lacked basic information about raising capital and how to successfully start a business.
Alan sincerely wanted to respond to the many requests from aspiring entrepreneurs asking for the information and introductions they needed. But he had to find a way to help in which his venture capital clients and friends would not mind.
The American Dreams show became the solution, first as a radio show and now with YouTube videos as well. Always respectful of interview guest’s time, he’s able to give access to individuals information and inspiration previously inaccessible to the first-time entrepreneurs who need it most.
They can listen to venture capitalists and successful business people explain first-hand, how they got to where they are, how to start a company, how to overcome challenges, how they see the future evolving, opportunities, work-life balance and so much more..
American Dreams discusses many topics from some of the world’s most successful individuals about their secrets to life’s success. Topics from guest have included:
Creating purpose in life / Building a foundation for their life / Solving problems / Finding fulfillment through philanthropy and service / Becoming self-reliant / Enhancing effective leadership / Balancing family and work…
MyPaths.com (Also sponsored by GROCO) provides free access to content and world-class entrepreneurs, influencers and thought leaders’ personal success stories. To help you find your path in life to true, sustainable success & happiness. It’s mission statement:
In an increasingly complex and difficult world, we hope to help you find your personal path in life and build a strong foundation by learning how others found success and happiness. True and sustainable success and happiness are different for each one of us but possible, often despite significant challenges.
Our mission at MyPaths.com is to provide resources and firsthand accounts of how others found their paths in life, so you can do the same.
With Gas Prices Down, Could Gas Taxes Be Going Up?
Rich or poor, young or old, no one likes high gas prices – with the possible exception of oil and gas companies. In any case, the recent drop in gas prices around the country has no doubt brought some relief to just about everyone in America, including big corporations that own large fleets of vehicles.…
Hello? Is This Really the IRS, or Just a Scam?
No one enjoys getting a call from the IRS, but getting a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS, but who is really just a scammer, is even worse. However, according to the country’s top tax agency, that is exactly the kind of sophisticated and elaborate scam that has been going on…
United States and Singapore Buddy Up on Tax Evasion
For those who are still not convinced that the United States is serious about tracking down tax dodgers who are trying to hide money in offshore accounts, here’s one more piece of evidence that might change your mind. In a deal announced last week, the country of Singapore says it has come to terms with…
IRS Overpaid by $6 Billion in Child Tax Credits in 2013
Although no one will probably ever shed a tear to hear that the IRS paid taxpayers too much money, this latest report does nothing to breed confidence in how things are run in the nation’s tax collecting agency. According to reports, the IRS paid about $6 billion in child tax credits last year to people…