
Helping lead the revolution of the transportation industry. CEO @INRIX. Formerly @Microsoft and @Ford. Christian, husband, father, boater, tech geek.
Kirkland, WA
Joined May 2009
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Bryan Mistele retweeted
I have to admit, I enjoy listening to these hardcore Seattle liberals grapple with the fact that the new Washington State millionaires tax is having a serious impact not just on the local economy, but on their own livelihoods and jobs.
High-end architect:
"All my customers are leaving."
General contractor:
"They canceled the remodel. Asked if I work in Nevada."
Tech startup bro:
"Umm... where are all the investors?"
Real estate agent:
"No one moving here wants a condo."
Non-profit CEO:
"Where are all my donors going?"
Restaurant owner:
"Our best customers all moved to Las Vegas."
Personal trainer:
"I'm doing Zoom sessions until I find new clients."
Executive recruiter:
"The job is technically in Seattle. The executive is not."
Art gallery owner:
"They’re buying art for their new house in Austin."
High-end relocation company owner:
"Honestly, we're doing great."
Traffic data pioneer Inrix to be acquired by Allstate’s Arity after more than two decades geekwire.com/2026/traffic-da…
Bryan Mistele retweeted
The companies expect the deal to close this year. bizjournals.com/seattle/news…
Bryan Mistele retweeted
I’ve spent a few days thinking about the Tesla Roadster reveal and landed somewhere I haven’t seen much discussion. I’m neither a Tesla fanboy nor a Tesla hater. And I couldn’t care less whether what we saw technically qualifies as a flying car. Three takeaways: (1) The risk of that live demonstration going horribly wrong was real. Almost no CEO would willingly expose their company to that kind of public humiliation for a product with so little financial upside. Elon did. (2) That willingness to attempt the seemingly impossible is what makes Tesla special. It’s also arguably Elon’s greatest contribution to America. He’s helped bring back something we’ve lost. The American spirit of chasing big scary ideas that most people think are impossible. That mindset is spreading across a new generation of founders and its long term impact on America’s future could dwarf anything Tesla ever sells. I think this is deeply underappreciated. (3) Can we just acknowledge how insanely cool that moment was? We’ve reached a strange place culturally where even extraordinary feats of human ingenuity immediately become arguments about why they don’t count. Not everything needs to be a debate. Sometimes we should just be able to stand back together and marvel at what humans are capable of. I’ve been both bullish and critical of Tesla’s ambitions over the years. But watching Elon and his team push the boundaries of what’s possible reminds me why I’m glad we have him. Whether the Roadster ever makes Tesla a dollar or impacts $TSLA stock price is almost beside the point. We need more people willing to risk failure in pursuit of things the rest of us think are impossible. Because when they succeed we all win.
I sold my company on the same day flying cars became a reality. I think my life is complete.
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"INRIX, the Bellevue, Wash.-based traffic data company that spun out of Microsoft in 2004 and became one of the Seattle region’s longest-running independent tech companies, has agreed to sell substantially all of its assets to Arity, the mobility data subsidiary of insurance giant Allstate."
I'm not sure I knew we were one of the region's longest-running independent tech companies, but I'll take that as a compliment. : )
geekwire.com/2026/traffic-da…
Bryan Mistele retweeted
Three immediate thoughts come to mind. First, this is awesome. Second, most people are terrible drivers and should not be entrusted with this technology. Third, I’m a good driver so I should have one.
After 22+ years as co-founder and CEO of INRIX, I’m excited to share that INRIX is entering the next chapter of its history. Today we’re announcing INRIX’s sale to Arity, a division of Allstate. Together with Arity, INRIX will help form a new leader in the transportation data and analytics space.
This is the right move for INRIX, the right move for our employees, and the right time for the investors who have stood with us along the way. I’m grateful to Gary Hallgren at Arity, who will lead the combined organization going forward. I know INRIX is in good hands with Allstate (pun intended).
Running INRIX has been a calling, an adventure, and above all a privilege. When I started the company, a good friend told me, “The highs will be higher, and the lows will be lower than corporate life, but the ride is worth it.” He was right. There were extremely stressful and disappointing times, but also countless great memories and thousands of wonderful people I met along the way. I'm honored to have had the privilege of leading this organization for so long.
To everyone who was part of the journey, including employees, investors, board members, mentors, partners, and customers: thank you. You made it meaningful, you made me better, and together we accomplished great things.
I've decided I'm not retiring. I have no desire to downshift or play golf for the rest of my life - I love building too much. I’ve been focused on finishing the INRIX journey well, so I haven’t mapped out what’s next, but I’m fortunate to have time to explore options and find the right fit.
If you’re looking for an experienced CEO or board member, I’d love to hear from you.
I’m grateful to God for this chapter of my life, and excited about what lies ahead!
pressreleasehub.pa.media/art…
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Bryan Mistele retweeted
Vote Yes on 645 - my piece on why Washington’s new state income tax must be repealed geekwire.com/2026/opinion-wa… via @GeekWire. Jamie Pedersen has admitted he plans to lower the state income tax to many hard working Washingtonians. Bad for all of us.
Opinion: Washington’s new state income tax must be repealed geekwire.com/2026/opinion-wa…
Bryan Mistele retweeted
The future is bright…and so is Scottsdale! ☀️
Join us in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona at the four-star Westin Kierland Resort & Spa — where even brighter minds will explore our technological future!
Make COSM 2026 your November destination.
Nov. 18-20 | Scottsdale, AZ
cosm.tech
Bryan Mistele retweeted
The clock is ticking on the COSM 2026 Early Adopter rate. ⏰
Register by September 30 to lock in the best rate for three days of big ideas and provocative conversations about AI, computing, human creativity, and the technologies shaping our future.
COSM 2026: Reality Check
Nov. 18-20 | Scottsdale, AZ
cosm.tech/
New article I wrote on Intelligent Infrastructure: forbes.com/councils/forbeste…
So...if crazies in Washington State want the destruction of the Snake River Dams because they believe the dams kill fish, then what about when one of the top transportation projects in the State is electrocuting thousands of fish?
Sound Transit for months has hailed its innovative engineering to control electric current over the lake, so news that fish are being killed comes as a letdown. seattletimes.com/seattle-new…
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The World Cup Will Redefine How U.S. Cities Understand Mobility via @forbes forbes.com/councils/forbeste…
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Bryan Mistele retweeted
Replying to @INRIX
@INRIX has expanded its predictive 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, using 𝗔𝗜, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀, and curb activity to forecast parking availability at a driver's ETA.
#SmartCities #Mobility
Fact check: true.
Elon Musk avait dit un truc qui m'avait marqué sur l'allocation de ressources. En substance : passé un certain niveau de richesse, l'argent n'est plus de la consommation, c'est de l'allocation de capital.
Cette phrase change tout.
L'économie, dans le fond, c'est juste un problème d'allocation. Tu as des ressources finies et des usages infinis. Qui décide où va quoi ?
Imagine une cour de récré. 100 enfants, des paquets de cartes Pokémon distribués au hasard. Tu laisses faire. Très vite, un ordre émerge. Les bons joueurs accumulent les cartes rares, les collectionneurs trient, les négociateurs trouvent des deals. Personne n'a planifié. Et pourtant chaque carte finit dans les mains de celui qui en tire le plus de valeur. Le système maximise le bonheur total de la cour. C'est ça, la main invisible.
Maintenant fais entrer la maîtresse. Elle trouve ça injuste. Léo a 50 cartes, Tom en a 3. Elle confisque, redistribue, impose l'égalité. Trois effets immédiats. Les bons joueurs arrêtent de jouer, à quoi bon. Les mauvais n'ont plus de raison de progresser, ils auront leur part. Les échanges s'effondrent. La cour est égale, et morte. Elle a maximisé l'égalité, elle a détruit le bonheur.
Le problème de la maîtresse, c'est qu'elle ne peut pas avoir l'information que la cour avait collectivement. C'est le problème du calcul économique de Mises, formulé en 1920. L'URSS a essayé de le résoudre pendant 70 ans avec le Gosplan. Résultat : pénuries, queues, effondrement. Pas parce que les Soviétiques étaient bêtes, parce que le problème est mathématiquement insoluble en mode centralisé.
Quand Musk a 200 milliards, il ne les consomme pas, il les alloue. SpaceX, Starlink, Neuralink, xAI. Chaque dollar est un pari sur le futur. Et lui a un track record. PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX. Il a démontré qu'il sait identifier des problèmes immenses et y allouer des ressources avec un rendement spectaculaire.
L'État aussi a un track record. Hôpitaux qui s'effondrent, éducation qui décline, dette qui explose, services publics qui se dégradent malgré des budgets en hausse constante. Le marché identifie les bons allocateurs, la politique identifie les bons communicants.
Le profit n'est pas une finalité, c'est un signal. Il dit : tu as alloué des ressources rares vers un usage que les gens valorisent suffisamment pour payer. Plus le profit est gros, plus la création de valeur est grande. Quand Starlink est rentable, ça veut dire que des millions de gens dans des zones rurales ont enfin internet. Quand un ministère est en déficit, ça veut dire qu'il consomme plus qu'il ne produit. L'un crée, l'autre détruit, et on appelle ça redistribution.
Dans nos sociétés il y a deux catégories d'acteurs. Les entrepreneurs et les bureaucrates. L'entrepreneur prend un risque personnel pour identifier un problème, mobiliser des ressources, créer une solution. S'il se trompe il perd. S'il a raison, ses clients gagnent, ses employés gagnent, ses fournisseurs gagnent, l'État collecte des impôts. Il est la cellule de base du progrès humain.
Le bureaucrate ne prend aucun risque personnel. Son salaire est garanti. Au mieux il maintient une rente existante. Au pire il la détruit par excès de réglementation, mauvaise allocation forcée, incitations perverses qui découragent ceux qui produisent. Mais dans aucun cas il ne crée.
Regarde les 50 dernières années. iPhone, internet civil, SpaceX, Tesla, Google, Amazon, Stripe, mRNA, ChatGPT. Toutes des inventions privées, portées par des entrepreneurs, financées par du capital risque. Pas un seul ministère n'a inventé quoi que ce soit qui ait changé ta vie au quotidien.
La France est devenue le laboratoire mondial de la dérive bureaucratique. 57% du PIB en dépenses publiques, record absolu. Une administration tentaculaire, une fiscalité qui pénalise la création de richesse. Résultat : décrochage face aux États-Unis, à l'Allemagne, à la Suisse. Fuite des cerveaux. Désindustrialisation. Dette qui explose.
Et le pire c'est que la mauvaise allocation s'auto-renforce. Plus l'État prélève, moins les entrepreneurs créent. Moins ils créent, moins il y a de base fiscale. Plus l'État s'endette et taxe. Boucle de rétroaction négative parfaite. La maîtresse pense qu'elle aide, et chaque année la cour produit moins.
Dans nos sociétés, ce sont les entrepreneurs, toujours, qui font avancer la civilisation. Les bureaucrates au mieux maintiennent une rente, au pire la détruisent. Aucune société n'a jamais progressé en taxant ses créateurs pour subventionner ses gestionnaires.
La question n'est jamais qui a combien. C'est qui alloue le mieux la prochaine unité de ressource pour maximiser le futur de l'humanité. La réponse depuis 200 ans n'a jamais changé. Ce ne sont pas les fonctionnaires.
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More true than most people will ever know.
Running a company:
2020: can you survive a pandemic?
2021: still here? we’re going to give all of your competitors $100m series A rounds.
2022: wow, you made it? okay, all engineers cost $600,000/year now.
2023: nice job! okay, SVB failed and we’re going to take away your bank account.
2024: a survivor I see. but can you pivot from ai to crypto to defense tech back to ai-enabled defense tech in a 12 month period to stay relevant?
2025: unfortunately all of your competitors have raised $2b series B rounds. oh and only 500 engineers are relevant and they cost $100m/yr each.
2026: well, well, well. you’re still in business? let’s deploy the thunderclap of godlike LLMs from the heavens so all of your customers can rebuild your app in 2 hours. can you survive?
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A second interview I did last week, this one with John Furrier at the NYSE, talking about how AI is already changing transportation for the better and how INRIX is playing a key role. youtube.com/watch?v=efHY_ClX…














