5 ms·

Elon Musk: The Recode interview

91 points by prostoalex 8y ago

replies_to_all 8y ago
Why ANYONE would sit down with this proud misandrist is beyond me. Here she is being a jerk to the Pod Save America guys for no reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izdFyZn_7zI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izdFyZn_7zI Also, Kara Swisher is an absolutely horrid interviewer. She is combative for no reason, nasty to no end and a shit stirrer with no real aim. She has no basis in reality no grip of technicals and has the one goal of "attacking" anything that is not just like her.
sabertoothed 8y ago
Kara Swisher is a terrible interviewer. She was terrible here [1], and she was terrible in this interview. You have an hour with Elon Musk and you ask what BFR means again (knowing the answer) and don't know that they attempt to catch fairings? Why does she always look like she did not do her research? Why do I never learn anything new if she interviews? [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsixsRI-Sz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsixsRI-Sz4
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- rayvy 8y ago
  I personally think both of the RECODE interviewers (don't know their names) try to be a little too cool for school when interviewing these once-a-generation people.
  - charlesism 8y ago
    Your reaction is understandable. It's obvious Kara prides herself on being a grouch and a hard-ass. I remember thinking the same during the D5 interview with Steve Jobs, where she mouthed off to the point that Mossberg shushed her. In retrospect, I've changed my mind. It isn't healthy for an industry to only have reporters who softball every interview, who just parrot crap from press releases. In tech, that's close to what we have. It's allowed companies to get away with a lot of shady nonsense. So these days I'm really thankful that tech has a Kara Swisher.
- daedalus_j 8y ago
  Agreed. She always seems to me to be far more interested in herself than in the person she's interviewing. Previously I thought it was runaway narcissism, but I think you may have nailed it in saying she doesn't do her research. Perhaps everything is phrased as "Well when I did this...how does that relate to you", because she didn't prepare and is just vamping. (Good old Hanlon's Razor...)
  - omarforgotpwd 8y ago
    She's done her research. She is trying to ask questions ordinary (more uninformed) people would ask.
- Reedx 8y ago
  Yeah, I've been frustrated with that ever since the Gates & Jobs interview in 2007. Here's the question I've been wondering: How does such an interviewer manage to keep getting these historically important interviews?
- travbrack 8y ago
  An interview is supposed to be about the subject. Kara makes the interviews about herself by being the biggest personality in the room.
- leesec 8y ago
  Yeah I thought she was really bad as well. Kept interrupting him and also seemed disinterested in things he was saying. Like she was looking for certain answers and he wouldn't give them so she would just interrupt. She also asked really irrelevant questions, and in some cases condescending.
  - fhood 8y ago
    Oof, I didn't listen originally, just read the transcript, and I thought everyone was overreacting, but it comes of a lot worse in audio format.
  - dorianm 8y ago
    Yes, all the interruptions, and trying to lead to the answers she wants to hear. Pretty cringeworthy.
- lalos 8y ago
  I'll never forget the train wreck the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs interview was. She kept interrupting them and adding nonsensical meta commentary ("oh that was sweet"). You can see in their faces that both were uncomfortable with her poor professionalism. At the end Jobs seemed to be ignoring her fully. One small example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mVGGlFGRA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mVGGlFGRA
  - leesec 8y ago
    Hadn't seen this. Wow.
- ryanmercer 8y ago
  >Kara Swisher is a terrible interviewer. Agreed, I used to listen to her podcast but she can be very agenda-pushing and condescending if someone even remotely has a different belief than her. I mean, if you want to do that that's fine be like Adam Carolla, a comedian, and market yourself as such, but if you're doing it as a 'journalist' you need to be impartial.
- fasteddie31003 8y ago
  I don't know if she was trying to act naive to relate to a common denominator audience or just was clueless and did not do her research.
nutjob2 8y ago
Who needs Cheech and Chong when you have Elon Musk?
Endama 8y ago
I think the thing that people really like about Elon Musk is that he just doesn't care about the interpersonal social status dynamics at play with his position in the world. If you look at the interview, he's very dismissive of Kara's questioning about how others perceive him: Kara: What’s Twitter? Okay, let’s start with Twitter. I have an obsession with Twitter, too, and an addiction. What happens with you and Twitter? Elon: Well, I tweet interesting things pretty much as they come to me, and probably with not much of a filter. Kara: And why? Elon: I find it entertaining. I think, “Oh, other people might find this entertaining.” Sometimes they do. Kara: Just at night? What are you, at home you’re doing this? Elon: Yeah. Mostly at home. I spend a lot less time on Twitter than people probably think. It’s like maybe 10-15 minutes or something. Kara: Yeah, well people pay attention when you do that. And then he continues on to legitimize his tone by showing his prowess in entrepreneurship and science: Kara: Do you take criticism to heart correctly? Elon: Yes. Kara: Give me an example of something if you could. Elon: How do you think rockets get to orbit? Kara: That’s a fair point. Elon: Not easily. Physics is very demanding. If you get it wrong, the rocket will blow up. Cars are very demanding. If you get it wrong, a car won’t work. Truth in engineering and science is extremely important. Kara: Right. And therefore? Elon: I have a strong interest in the truth. Kara: All right. And you are — Elon: Much more than journalists do. I think people find this kind of backed-up braggadocio incredibly entertaining and exciting to watch, it makes Elon musk an irresistible personality to follow.
- rayvy 8y ago
  > I think the thing that people really like about Elon Musk is that he just doesn't care about the interpersonal social status dynamics at play with his position in the world At least from what you've quoted, I have a hard time seeing your point. Seems to be a fairly conservative conversation from a 47 year-old entrepreneurial billionaire physicist, and an interviewer. She asks questions and he gives her straightforward answers with no fluff. While I would agree that he (clearly) doesn't play by the rules of mortals (how could you, and get to where he's gotten?), I'd hardly call this a matter of he just doesn't care about the interpersonal social status dynamics at play
  - Endama 8y ago
educationdata 8y ago
Joe Rogan interview of Elon is much better: https://youtu.be/ycPr5-27vSI https://youtu.be/ycPr5-27vSI
- davej 8y ago
  I don't agree. Rogan is a better interviewer but Elon is much more fluent in the recode interview.
  - dorianm 8y ago
    Joe Rogan as interviewer but in the Tesla Palo Alto office instead of in the evening when Musk is tired would be perfect.
perseusprime11 8y ago
What was Kara thinking? She was trying to be too much of a high-brow. I will give you a lecture on how you should behave by asking you questions that will put you down. Very offputting!
ProAm 8y ago
I'm tired of having Elon Musk in my life. I like his initiatives, but Im very tired of him.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- loceng 8y ago
  Elon's been a counter-balance to the insanity that is Trump, for me at least.
  - camjohnson26 8y ago
    Musk has a lot in common with Trump actually. They both despise the media and have a casual relationship with the truth. They're both self-made billionaires who built their companies on risky debt financing, and they both have narcissistic traits and an apparent "god complex," as well as difficulty accepting criticism.
    - loceng 8y ago
      Musk "despises" people who lie - including media that lie, not the general media. And Trump is far from a self-made billionaire - where are you getting your news? Your comparison is unreasonably loose.
      - camjohnson26 8y ago
        Self made is a stretch but he definitely earned billions from risky debt financing. Musk doesn't like media that disagrees with him, just look at what he said in this interview about the WSJ article. Both Musk and Trump are great at playing to what their base wants and have made themselves look like heroes to their supporters.
        loceng 8y ago
        Self-made is a stretch for whom? Trump, definitely it's a stretch. Elon isn't a stretch to say he's a self-made billionaire. Likewise, risk is relative - it depends on if the people with the money find it too risky to invest or not, so clearly they didn't think it was too risky, nor did Elon for him to be willing to take it. Re: Interview - I didn't watch the interview, what are you referencing that he referenced in the WSJ article? My guess is it wasn't accurate or clear enough in his mind, meaning it was a "half truth" and too open to interpretation. Once again your further attempt to compare Elon and Trump is unreasonably loose. Trump plays his base with lies, Elon isn't playing any game - he's having fun certainly when he does things like throwing shade on the SEC for things relating to what he disagrees with like short sellers, and with things like selling not-a-flamethrowers, however he doesn't blatantly lie constantly - and I'd like you to reference with a reliable source even a single confirmed lie that Elon has said?
sidcool 8y ago
Elon almost reprimanded Kara for not listening carefully.

91 points by prostoalex 8y ago

Why ANYONE would sit down with this proud misandrist is beyond me. Here she is being a jerk to the Pod Save America guys for no reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izdFyZn_7zI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izdFyZn_7zI Also, Kara Swisher is an absolutely horrid interviewer. She is combative for no reason, nasty to no end and a shit stirrer with no real aim. She has no basis in reality no grip of technicals and has the one goal of "attacking" anything that is not just like her.

sabertoothed 8y ago

Kara Swisher is a terrible interviewer. She was terrible here [1], and she was terrible in this interview. You have an hour with Elon Musk and you ask what BFR means again (knowing the answer) and don't know that they attempt to catch fairings? Why does she always look like she did not do her research? Why do I never learn anything new if she interviews? [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsixsRI-Sz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsixsRI-Sz4

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
rayvy 8y ago
I personally think both of the RECODE interviewers (don't know their names) try to be a little too cool for school when interviewing these once-a-generation people.
- charlesism 8y ago
  Your reaction is understandable. It's obvious Kara prides herself on being a grouch and a hard-ass. I remember thinking the same during the D5 interview with Steve Jobs, where she mouthed off to the point that Mossberg shushed her. In retrospect, I've changed my mind. It isn't healthy for an industry to only have reporters who softball every interview, who just parrot crap from press releases. In tech, that's close to what we have. It's allowed companies to get away with a lot of shady nonsense. So these days I'm really thankful that tech has a Kara Swisher.
daedalus_j 8y ago
Agreed. She always seems to me to be far more interested in herself than in the person she's interviewing. Previously I thought it was runaway narcissism, but I think you may have nailed it in saying she doesn't do her research. Perhaps everything is phrased as "Well when I did this...how does that relate to you", because she didn't prepare and is just vamping. (Good old Hanlon's Razor...)
- omarforgotpwd 8y ago
  She's done her research. She is trying to ask questions ordinary (more uninformed) people would ask.
Reedx 8y ago
Yeah, I've been frustrated with that ever since the Gates & Jobs interview in 2007. Here's the question I've been wondering: How does such an interviewer manage to keep getting these historically important interviews?
travbrack 8y ago
An interview is supposed to be about the subject. Kara makes the interviews about herself by being the biggest personality in the room.
leesec 8y ago
Yeah I thought she was really bad as well. Kept interrupting him and also seemed disinterested in things he was saying. Like she was looking for certain answers and he wouldn't give them so she would just interrupt. She also asked really irrelevant questions, and in some cases condescending.
- fhood 8y ago
  Oof, I didn't listen originally, just read the transcript, and I thought everyone was overreacting, but it comes of a lot worse in audio format.
- dorianm 8y ago
  Yes, all the interruptions, and trying to lead to the answers she wants to hear. Pretty cringeworthy.
lalos 8y ago
I'll never forget the train wreck the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs interview was. She kept interrupting them and adding nonsensical meta commentary ("oh that was sweet"). You can see in their faces that both were uncomfortable with her poor professionalism. At the end Jobs seemed to be ignoring her fully. One small example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mVGGlFGRA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mVGGlFGRA
- leesec 8y ago
  Hadn't seen this. Wow.
ryanmercer 8y ago
>Kara Swisher is a terrible interviewer. Agreed, I used to listen to her podcast but she can be very agenda-pushing and condescending if someone even remotely has a different belief than her. I mean, if you want to do that that's fine be like Adam Carolla, a comedian, and market yourself as such, but if you're doing it as a 'journalist' you need to be impartial.
fasteddie31003 8y ago
I don't know if she was trying to act naive to relate to a common denominator audience or just was clueless and did not do her research.

nutjob2 8y ago

Who needs Cheech and Chong when you have Elon Musk?

Endama 8y ago

I think the thing that people really like about Elon Musk is that he just doesn't care about the interpersonal social status dynamics at play with his position in the world. If you look at the interview, he's very dismissive of Kara's questioning about how others perceive him: Kara: What’s Twitter? Okay, let’s start with Twitter. I have an obsession with Twitter, too, and an addiction. What happens with you and Twitter? Elon: Well, I tweet interesting things pretty much as they come to me, and probably with not much of a filter. Kara: And why? Elon: I find it entertaining. I think, “Oh, other people might find this entertaining.” Sometimes they do. Kara: Just at night? What are you, at home you’re doing this? Elon: Yeah. Mostly at home. I spend a lot less time on Twitter than people probably think. It’s like maybe 10-15 minutes or something. Kara: Yeah, well people pay attention when you do that. And then he continues on to legitimize his tone by showing his prowess in entrepreneurship and science: Kara: Do you take criticism to heart correctly? Elon: Yes. Kara: Give me an example of something if you could. Elon: How do you think rockets get to orbit? Kara: That’s a fair point. Elon: Not easily. Physics is very demanding. If you get it wrong, the rocket will blow up. Cars are very demanding. If you get it wrong, a car won’t work. Truth in engineering and science is extremely important. Kara: Right. And therefore? Elon: I have a strong interest in the truth. Kara: All right. And you are — Elon: Much more than journalists do. I think people find this kind of backed-up braggadocio incredibly entertaining and exciting to watch, it makes Elon musk an irresistible personality to follow.

rayvy 8y ago
> I think the thing that people really like about Elon Musk is that he just doesn't care about the interpersonal social status dynamics at play with his position in the world At least from what you've quoted, I have a hard time seeing your point. Seems to be a fairly conservative conversation from a 47 year-old entrepreneurial billionaire physicist, and an interviewer. She asks questions and he gives her straightforward answers with no fluff. While I would agree that he (clearly) doesn't play by the rules of mortals (how could you, and get to where he's gotten?), I'd hardly call this a matter of he just doesn't care about the interpersonal social status dynamics at play
- Endama 8y ago

educationdata 8y ago

Joe Rogan interview of Elon is much better: https://youtu.be/ycPr5-27vSI https://youtu.be/ycPr5-27vSI

davej 8y ago
I don't agree. Rogan is a better interviewer but Elon is much more fluent in the recode interview.
- dorianm 8y ago
  Joe Rogan as interviewer but in the Tesla Palo Alto office instead of in the evening when Musk is tired would be perfect.

perseusprime11 8y ago

What was Kara thinking? She was trying to be too much of a high-brow. I will give you a lecture on how you should behave by asking you questions that will put you down. Very offputting!

ProAm 8y ago

I'm tired of having Elon Musk in my life. I like his initiatives, but Im very tired of him.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
loceng 8y ago
Elon's been a counter-balance to the insanity that is Trump, for me at least.
- camjohnson26 8y ago
  Musk has a lot in common with Trump actually. They both despise the media and have a casual relationship with the truth. They're both self-made billionaires who built their companies on risky debt financing, and they both have narcissistic traits and an apparent "god complex," as well as difficulty accepting criticism.
  - loceng 8y ago
    Musk "despises" people who lie - including media that lie, not the general media. And Trump is far from a self-made billionaire - where are you getting your news? Your comparison is unreasonably loose.
    - camjohnson26 8y ago
      Self made is a stretch but he definitely earned billions from risky debt financing. Musk doesn't like media that disagrees with him, just look at what he said in this interview about the WSJ article. Both Musk and Trump are great at playing to what their base wants and have made themselves look like heroes to their supporters.
      - loceng 8y ago
        Self-made is a stretch for whom? Trump, definitely it's a stretch. Elon isn't a stretch to say he's a self-made billionaire. Likewise, risk is relative - it depends on if the people with the money find it too risky to invest or not, so clearly they didn't think it was too risky, nor did Elon for him to be willing to take it. Re: Interview - I didn't watch the interview, what are you referencing that he referenced in the WSJ article? My guess is it wasn't accurate or clear enough in his mind, meaning it was a "half truth" and too open to interpretation. Once again your further attempt to compare Elon and Trump is unreasonably loose. Trump plays his base with lies, Elon isn't playing any game - he's having fun certainly when he does things like throwing shade on the SEC for things relating to what he disagrees with like short sellers, and with things like selling not-a-flamethrowers, however he doesn't blatantly lie constantly - and I'd like you to reference with a reliable source even a single confirmed lie that Elon has said?

sidcool 8y ago

Elon almost reprimanded Kara for not listening carefully.