Lei Zhao: From Tesla to Nuro to ViiRaa — Building ‘Body Intelligence’ Through Awareness
Interviewee: Lei Zhao
Interviewer: Xiao He
1. From Embodied Intelligence to Body Intelligence
Xiao He:
We can start by introducing yourself to our readers!
Lei Zhao:
Sure. First of all, thank you, Xiao, for the invitation. We’ve known each other for a long time, so it’s great to have this chance to talk deeply.
My name is Lei Zhao. I came to the U.S. from China in 2011 to study at Purdue University. I’ve been working for about ten years now. The first half of my career focused on “embodied intelligence” — for example, at Tesla, I worked on making cars greener, and at Nuro, on making cars smarter.
Now, as a founder, my focus has shifted toward what I call “body intelligence.” That’s my central direction today.
2. The Meaning of Freedom: It Started with an Electric Car
Xiao He:
Looking back at your time at Purdue, what had the biggest impact on you?
Lei Zhao:
At that time, freedom meant having choices.
Back in 2011, electric vehicles were still very new — Tesla had only been around for a few years. But at Purdue, I had the opportunity to design an electric car from scratch: from the battery, battery pack, and powertrain to the chassis — and then actually drive it myself. That experience was magical.
That sense of “I can make this myself” shaped me deeply. The environment didn’t just give me opportunities — it gave me the resources to realize my ideas. That was the first time I truly felt what “freedom” means.
3. Why Mechanical Engineering
Xiao He:
Why did you choose mechanical engineering?
Lei Zhao:
Because I like things I can touch. I’m an ENFP — the “P” part of me is very strong — I need to feel the world.
Mechanical engineering is tangible.
The first time I sat in the electric car I designed, I was both terrified and thrilled. When the car actually moved, I could feel every gear engaging, every bump on the road, every surge of power from the battery. That physical feedback was so real.
At that moment, I knew I wanted to build things that could be experienced — things that could be felt.
4. First Job: The Century-Old CTS Corporation
Lei Zhao:
My first job was at CTS Corporation, a century-old company in Indiana. They make actuators that improve fuel efficiency. I worked in mechanical design, creating products from scratch.
There, I earned two U.S. patents and helped develop an entirely new product line — we modularized the electric motor attaching different gear-train so it could adapt to different customer needs. The project was led directly by the company’s VP, and I had the chance to report directly to him.
I’m very grateful for the trust that team gave me. To this day, we still exchange holiday greetings.
5. From CTS to Tesla: When the Elephant Dances
Xiao He:
Then you moved from a century-old company to a fast-growing one — Tesla. What was that transition like?
Lei Zhao:
I still remember how the Tesla manager “sold” me on it (laughs). He said, “What you’re doing now — multiply that impact by 1,000, and that’s what we’re doing at Tesla.”
It was a perfect match for my background — I’d worked on motors, gearboxes, and control systems. In 2018, the very day SpaceX successfully landed its first rocket, Tesla HR called to tell me I got the job. Such timing!
For me, the keyword at Tesla was awareness.
The pressure was enormous — it was during the Model 3 production hell, when Elon Musk was literally sleeping at the factory. We engineers had to support the production line around the clock. Under that kind of stress, I learned more about myself than ever before.
You begin to understand what kind of environment suits you, what kind of life you actually want.
My biggest growth at Tesla wasn’t technical — it was self-awareness.
6. From Tesla to Nuro: Making Cars Smarter
Xiao He:
After that, you joined Nuro. What made you take that leap?
Lei Zhao:
To be honest — I was burned out at Tesla.
I felt like I had already done everything I could to make cars green. Even if I kept going for another ten years, it wouldn’t be a breakthrough. So I started asking myself, what’s next? And that led to “make cars smart.”
I literally built a small self-driving car myself — starting from a remote control car, adding sensors (such as lidar and IMU), software, and compute hardware — everything by hand.
When I interviewed with Nuro, I asked them:
“Has anyone on your team built a self-driving car from scratch? If not, you should hire me.”
That mindset — of creating rather than just engineering — became a turning point for me.
7. Lessons from Nuro: A Culture of Transparency and Trust
Lei Zhao:
Nuro had a very transparent culture with a strong sense of agency. The CEO held “Ask Me Anything” sessions every two weeks. Everyone could see the reasoning behind every strategy shift.
I learned that trust is the essence of team dynamics — it’s about creating certainty within uncertainty.
I developed my own framework for understanding collaboration, which I call MKTAB:
M – Motivation
K – Knowledge
T – Trigger (deadline or catalyst)
A – Action
B – Blocker
When something doesn’t go well, it’s not always because someone lacks motivation — maybe they just don’t have enough information, or they’re blocked by something else.
If you can help others unblock, they’ll trust you — and want to help you back. That’s the core of teamwork.
8. Third Time Starting from Zero: Founding ViiRaa
Xiao He:
Then you founded ViiRaa. How does that connect with your previous experiences?
Lei Zhao:
This is my third time starting from zero. I’ve always believed in learning by doing.
ViiRaa is a behavior-change platform that helps people rebuild communication between their body and mind by understanding their health data.
Our philosophy is simple: Awareness first, transformation follows.
Most people fail to lose weight not because the method is wrong, but because they lack awareness.
We use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), AI, and nutrition science to help users understand their bodies — and through that awareness, achieve real, lasting change.
Transformation isn’t just about losing weight — it’s about forming a new identity.
9. Altruism and the Roots of Business
Xiao He:
There’s a strong sense of altruism and idealism in your journey — from electric vehicles to self-driving cars to health tech. Has that always been part of you?
Lei Zhao:
It probably comes from my upbringing. My family members are all businesspeople, so I learned early that the best business is win-win.
True collaboration only happens under an altruistic mindset.
At ViiRaa, our first criterion for choosing partners is whether they share that altruistic spirit. Because only through altruism can we build real trust — and real products.
10. The Next Step for ViiRaa
Lei Zhao:
We’re still a small team, but we’ve already helped nearly a hundred users.
Next, we’re expanding partnerships with gyms and insurance companies:
Gyms focus on the exercise side, while we handle nutrition and engagement outside the gym.
Insurance companies care about diabetes and weight management — we provide AI-driven personalized wellness programs to reduce long-term healthcare costs.
AI allows us to achieve true personalized wellness — understanding each person’s motivation, knowledge, and blockers, and driving real behavioral change.
11. Book Recommendation: The Courage to Be Disliked
Xiao He:
We usually end by asking guests to recommend a book, film, or podcast.
Lei Zhao:
I’d like to recommend The Courage to Be Disliked.
There’s one line that changed how I view emotions: “Emotion is a tool.”
The book gives an example — a mother gets angry at her child, but as soon as the teacher calls, her anger disappears. That shows the anger wasn’t spontaneous — it was a tool to make the child obey.
Once you realize emotions are tools, you can choose to use the right tool at the right time with the right person.
That’s another level of awareness: Are you controlled by emotions, or are you in control of them?
I highly recommend this book.
12. Bonus Segment: The Inner Journey of Entrepreneurship
Lei Zhao:
Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. It took me two and a half years to find a direction I’m truly passionate about — and a team that shares the same vision. The team matters most.
Once you find people who can walk this path with you, the direction will emerge naturally.
If you’re still unsure, go learn at a big company first — and look for allies. Stay long enough in one direction, and you’ll meet others walking the same path.
Starting a company takes not just time and money, but also physical and emotional readiness — you have to bring your body on board.
When your body and intuition both tell you, “It’s time,” — that’s the right moment.