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That's because this is just another scheme like the hats. The goal is to raise money for the Boring Company, not necessarily to deliver a product. It's a novelt

• madeofpalk 9y ago
  > The goal is to raise money for the Boring Company I thought maybe raise money for charity or something.. but no. For Yet Another Musk Moonshot Company. Seriously though, how much money are they going to raise from selling hats or flamethrowers? How many millimetres of a tunnel does one flamethrower fund?
  • nickik 9y ago
    Do you understand marketing?
  • kiba 9y ago
    Can fan merchandises fund a serious industrial company? Also, the ROI for humanity for a Musk company seems to be a great deal for humanity overall, not just dollars and cents.
    • andrepd 9y ago
      >the ROI for humanity for a Musk company seems to be a great deal for humanity overall, not just dollars and cents You keep saying that but what exactly has he accomplished so far? For "the benefit of humanity" that is.
      • kakarot 9y ago
        Tesla has helped enter into public knowledge the reality that efficient, road-worthy electric cars are ready here and now, despite what the oil and automotive cartels will tell you. Existing on the outside of the cabal, they are forcing the hand of other big manufacturers to get in the game lest they lose future market share. Space X is on its way to revolutionizing the way we make time-sensitive global and orbital deliveries, and overall the company's aspirations to start a Mars colony are incredible given that no one else is trying, not even our governments. Hyperloop + The Boring Company is an attempt to revolutionize public transportation and eradicate the limiting factor of distance in things like our careers, hobbies, and relationships. It also aims to reduce global emissions by a less-than-trivial amount. Your argument is that, because Musk doesn't have a hulking list of massive once-in-a-lifetime achievements (who wants to read a giant list of micro-achievements?), that he has not accomplished anything. He is attacking industries that largely don't exist, and you are criticizing him for not already being finished with his life's work. Don't you understand that these things take time? That his companies are still largely in the "Research" part of "Research & Development?" What are you doing with your own life that allows you to criticize the actions of one massively motivated individual? Think of all of the great visionaries and leaders of the past-- Don't you think that, until they completed their life's work, they were also ridiculed and criticized? Consider building up and supporting others instead of reflexively attempting to tear them down. Don't be a naysayer.
        • ythoo 9y ago
          This is what it looks like to drink the whole jug of koolaid.
  • kakarot 9y ago
    > how much money are they going to raise from selling hats or flamethrowers? None? That isn't the point? To be fair, GP is completely wrong about the nature of this gimmick, but why the hate on Musk? Does it annoy you to see someone throwing outlandish ideas at the wall to see what sticks? Or to see someone attempt to enter new markets when existing choices aren't sufficient?
  • coryfklein 9y ago
    I don't see what they have to lose. A roughly 300% profit margin followed by the endless conversations buyers have with their friends informing them about what The Boring Company is, combined with improved employee happiness (who wouldn't get a kick out of their company having a brief flamethrower side hustle, right?), it sounds like a win-win all around to me. > I thought maybe raise money for charity First off, why would you expect a startup to prioritize charity fundraisers over hilarious and fun marketing campaigns, and second, selling flamethrowers doesn't preclude any possibility of The Boring Company doing fundraisers for charity anyway.
  • panarky 9y ago
    If free advertising is a great deal, then negative-cost advertising is an even better deal.
• deepakkarki 9y ago
  It's an IFO - initial flamethrower offering!