Book of the Week: Elon Musk
08 Sep 2015
This week I read Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. I know most of the events and facts (divorce, asking friends for money, etc.) surrounding Elon since bought Tesla stock (TSLA), but this book fills in a little bit more about the person. How his upbringing shaped his risk tolerance and his personality. If anybody makes me feel like I’m not doing enough with my life, it’s Elon Musk. Africa Some stuff happened that he won’t talk about. Also had a messed up childhood which toughened him up. Paypal
His big takeaway from that job, that bankers are rich and dumb, now had the feel of a massive opportunity.
Musk’s original idea for X.com was to be a paperless bank and totally disrupt the banking industry. It didn’t do that, but it did make him enough money to funnel into SpaceX and Tesla. I think this is why Peter Thiel is still putting money into companies that aim to disrupt the financial sector. They took a stab at it, couldn’t realize their dream, made money and moved on. It still bothers them that they will comment about it and give money to other people like Stripe. Tesla and SpaceX Paypal and Zip2 were more about making money with the internet. Tesla and SpaceX was about making a difference in the world. SpaceX was created from ambitions to do a Mars project but being rebuffed by the Russians when trying to buy a rocket. The thing that sets Elon apart is that he understands the technical problem enough to form a viable business case. He is also overly optimistic, so that results in him being able to sell the idea and keep it puttering long enough to get money for it to truly become viable. Thank you United States government for loaning Tesla money and for giving SpaceX billions in contracts. Without those, Tesla and SpaceX might be dead. These are things that can be done, but it takes a lot to get all the pieces to work. Hiring the best talent, raising money, selling customers and convincing the press, etc. Sometimes things are a matter of time and money, but if you lack the will, then they will never come to pass. Working for Elon
“Everything he does is fast. He pees fast. It’s like a firehouse-three seconds and out. He’s authentically in a hurry.” -Brogan “You had to put in when you would go to the bathroom. I’m like, ‘Elon, sometimes people need to take a long dump.” - Brogan
In order to convince people to work crazy amount of hours and like it, you need to give them a goal that is higher than themselves. Think global warming for Tesla and mission to Mars for SpaceX. Elon seems as bad to work for as Steve Jobs. Sure, they’ll make you achieve great things, but they’ll also burn you out and throw you away then you’re no longer of any use. This is because they care only about the goals. Everything else is a resource to achieve said goal. Not everybody is Elon, but he expects other people to work like him. On the other hand, he is probably the reason the Model S is such a nice car despite all of its setbacks. I think everyone should buy a Tesla. Elon Musk
He’s less sensitive and less tolerant than other people because the stakes are so high. Employees need to help solve the problems to the absolute best of their ability or they need to get out of the way.
A smart kid who had an existential crisis and high risk tolerance that is now devoting his life and money to fulfilling his childhood dreams of putting people on Mars.