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I think Gwynne Shotwell is the rather unsung hero keeping SpaceX running correctly day by day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell https://en.wikiped

I think Gwynne Shotwell is the rather unsung hero keeping SpaceX running correctly day by day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell

ProAm 5y ago
The sheer fact she has put up with Elon this long is nothing short of amazing.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- mlindner 5y ago
  Because she obviously likes working with him. https://www.wired.com/story/how-elon-musk-gwynne-shotwell-join-spacex/ https://www.wired.com/story/how-elon-musk-gwynne-shotwell-jo...
- grecy 5y ago
  One of my favourite passages in the SpaceX book is from Gwen after working with Elon for a couple of weeks. She worked really hard on a proposal about how they would go about selling the Falcon rocket to potential customers. Elon took one look and said "That's great. I don't want you to write reports and proposals, I want you to do it.". My god, I would give anything for a boss like that.
  - redindian75 5y ago
    which book is this? There are so many SpaceX/Musk books, would love to read a good/definitive one
    - mlindner 5y ago
      https://www.amazon.com/Liftoff-Desperate-Early-Launched-SpaceX-ebook/dp/B088FQK2K2 https://www.amazon.com/Liftoff-Desperate-Early-Launched-Spac... The book is titled Liftoff. It's the best SpaceX book there is and is very accurate involving many interviews with early employees. Musk is in the book but he's not featured majorly. It's mostly about all the employees who worked on the early rockets.
      - Robotbeat 5y ago
        Yup. And the biography by Ashlee Vance is also pretty good (I consider it definitive although it’s several years old, now). One nice thing about Liftoff is it's mostly about the other employees, most of whom we haven't heard much from publicly (although people who have followed SpaceX closely will recognize some of the names like Mueller and Shotwell).
  - giantrobot 5y ago
    > My god, I would give anything for a boss like that. You probably wouldn't. A boss that won't give explicit approval for aspects of a project is going to throw you under the bus at the first opportunity. They're not going to take any responsibility if you miss a target. They will however take all the credit for your success.
    - wildzzz 5y ago
      I don't think I'd be that much into a boss that at least isn't a little curious about the planned strategy for breaking into a very small, tight-knit, expensive market. Like I guess the only time this would make sense is if the boss had absolutely no clue how to market their product and specifically hired me to figure it out. I could see how my boss doesn't really care about how it's done because he knows he's already clueless about it anyway. But even if he doesn't really care, he should still be aware as that is kind of the job of a boss. You don't need to know all the fine details but you should be able to explain to someone else what your underling is doing and how.
  - taf2 5y ago
    Come work with me ;)
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jsnodlin 5y ago
cma 5y ago
This from her seemed dangerously like fraud: https://www.ted.com/talks/gwynne_shotwell_spacex_s_plan_to_fly_you_across_the_globe_in_30_minutes https://www.ted.com/talks/gwynne_shotwell_spacex_s_plan_to_f... Passenger service by 2028 on starship for between an economy and business class ticket. A couple years later they confirmed they were still going for the same timeline.
- irjustin 5y ago
  > This from her seemed dangerously like fraud Pretty heavy statement. Which part is the fraud? The timeline or the ability? I think it's fair to say far-fetched, but the label fraud or even "sounding like fraud" sounds too heavy.
  - masswerk 5y ago
    Maybe that the system requires starts at sea because of destructive noise levels, but most of the destinations listed in the video are either land-locked or don't have that kind of access to free coast lines? You can argue future technicalities, but not geography.
  - mlindner 5y ago
    The person thinks it's fraud because they watched videos by a propagandist who goes by the name "common sense skeptic" who makes videos that sound a lot like the people who make videos about flat earth. I say this as they quote all the same talking points of that person.
    - masswerk 5y ago
      Honestly, I don't know what to think of a CEO, who publicly puts her authority behind a video suggesting that doing anything off the open coast line of Zürich may be a viable business proposition. (It's a bit like selling a technology driven by the glaciers of New Mexico.)
      - borkyborkbork 5y ago
copperx 5y ago
Is Shotwell a real last name? Seems too appropriate.
- kisstheblade 5y ago
  - demadog 5y ago
    The hardest part is selling a compelling vision that connect with people and motivates a whole new generation, not to mention investors and the gov to invest.
    - kisstheblade 5y ago
      Yes. See Theranos. There has to be some sensible ratio of bullshit/vision.
      - leobg 5y ago
        Sound very much like the argument that you shouldn’t trust vegetarians because Hitler was one.
  - Cpoll 5y ago
    According to wiki, though: > Shotwell is married to Robert Shotwell, an engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  - trixie_ 5y ago
    You win the sour grapes award. Amazing how Tesla is worth a trillion and SpaceX over a hundred billion now, but it's all just a trick right? Each company conning investors for almost 20 years now. Look at all the things they haven't accomplished.
    - ohgodplsno 5y ago
      Tricking investors isn't exactly a high bar to clear either. But sure, you go on ahead and keep telling yourself that Tesla is worth more than the entire, combined auto industry when they can't even make cars with proper joints and door alignments.
panick21_ 5y ago
She is not really unsong at all. She is very, very recognized in the industry and everybody that is seriously interested in space travel knows here. She has been on my list of influential woman and given many talks and speeches all over the place. Of course she is not Musk famous, but nobody is. People who hate Musk sometimes try to claim all SpaceX is because of her. That is certainty wrong and she herself would not agree to that. But she is certainty amazing at what she does and starting out doing sales she increased here power and responsibility over the years until she was the clear 2nd in command. She allows Musk to focus on the new development, innovation and strategy.
- JaimeThompson 5y ago
  It's most strange to me, and I am not saying this applies to you, that one can have legit concerns about Musk and they are simply dismissed as "hate" by so many. Why some refuse to hold him responsible for his statements is just weird.
  - borkyborkbork 5y ago
    What statements are you wanting to hold him responsible for?
    - JaimeThompson 5y ago
      Any statement that history has shown keeps being repeated with very little factual support to back it up. His comments on FSD come to mind as do some of his comments about how far along Tesla is on various products.
  - xeromal 5y ago
    I assume it's because the conversation is pretty tired at this point. Post anything musk related on reddit and maybe HN and you'll get comments about Musk calling that diver a pedo, musk got his wealth from his dad's mines, musk having aspergers, or that musk can do nothing wrong. We've all seen it a thousand times and I'd rather just read about what SpaceX/Tesla/Musk is doing currently than past shit.

I think Gwynne Shotwell is the rather unsung hero keeping SpaceX running correctly day by day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell

ProAm 5y ago

The sheer fact she has put up with Elon this long is nothing short of amazing.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
mlindner 5y ago
Because she obviously likes working with him. https://www.wired.com/story/how-elon-musk-gwynne-shotwell-join-spacex/ https://www.wired.com/story/how-elon-musk-gwynne-shotwell-jo...
grecy 5y ago
One of my favourite passages in the SpaceX book is from Gwen after working with Elon for a couple of weeks. She worked really hard on a proposal about how they would go about selling the Falcon rocket to potential customers. Elon took one look and said "That's great. I don't want you to write reports and proposals, I want you to do it.". My god, I would give anything for a boss like that.
- redindian75 5y ago
  which book is this? There are so many SpaceX/Musk books, would love to read a good/definitive one
  - mlindner 5y ago
    https://www.amazon.com/Liftoff-Desperate-Early-Launched-SpaceX-ebook/dp/B088FQK2K2 https://www.amazon.com/Liftoff-Desperate-Early-Launched-Spac... The book is titled Liftoff. It's the best SpaceX book there is and is very accurate involving many interviews with early employees. Musk is in the book but he's not featured majorly. It's mostly about all the employees who worked on the early rockets.
    - Robotbeat 5y ago
      Yup. And the biography by Ashlee Vance is also pretty good (I consider it definitive although it’s several years old, now). One nice thing about Liftoff is it's mostly about the other employees, most of whom we haven't heard much from publicly (although people who have followed SpaceX closely will recognize some of the names like Mueller and Shotwell).
- giantrobot 5y ago
  > My god, I would give anything for a boss like that. You probably wouldn't. A boss that won't give explicit approval for aspects of a project is going to throw you under the bus at the first opportunity. They're not going to take any responsibility if you miss a target. They will however take all the credit for your success.
  - wildzzz 5y ago
    I don't think I'd be that much into a boss that at least isn't a little curious about the planned strategy for breaking into a very small, tight-knit, expensive market. Like I guess the only time this would make sense is if the boss had absolutely no clue how to market their product and specifically hired me to figure it out. I could see how my boss doesn't really care about how it's done because he knows he's already clueless about it anyway. But even if he doesn't really care, he should still be aware as that is kind of the job of a boss. You don't need to know all the fine details but you should be able to explain to someone else what your underling is doing and how.
- taf2 5y ago
  Come work with me ;)
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

jsnodlin 5y ago

cma 5y ago

This from her seemed dangerously like fraud: https://www.ted.com/talks/gwynne_shotwell_spacex_s_plan_to_fly_you_across_the_globe_in_30_minutes https://www.ted.com/talks/gwynne_shotwell_spacex_s_plan_to_f... Passenger service by 2028 on starship for between an economy and business class ticket. A couple years later they confirmed they were still going for the same timeline.

irjustin 5y ago
> This from her seemed dangerously like fraud Pretty heavy statement. Which part is the fraud? The timeline or the ability? I think it's fair to say far-fetched, but the label fraud or even "sounding like fraud" sounds too heavy.
- masswerk 5y ago
  Maybe that the system requires starts at sea because of destructive noise levels, but most of the destinations listed in the video are either land-locked or don't have that kind of access to free coast lines? You can argue future technicalities, but not geography.
- mlindner 5y ago
  The person thinks it's fraud because they watched videos by a propagandist who goes by the name "common sense skeptic" who makes videos that sound a lot like the people who make videos about flat earth. I say this as they quote all the same talking points of that person.
  - masswerk 5y ago
    Honestly, I don't know what to think of a CEO, who publicly puts her authority behind a video suggesting that doing anything off the open coast line of Zürich may be a viable business proposition. (It's a bit like selling a technology driven by the glaciers of New Mexico.)
    - borkyborkbork 5y ago

copperx 5y ago

Is Shotwell a real last name? Seems too appropriate.

kisstheblade 5y ago
- demadog 5y ago
  The hardest part is selling a compelling vision that connect with people and motivates a whole new generation, not to mention investors and the gov to invest.
  - kisstheblade 5y ago
    Yes. See Theranos. There has to be some sensible ratio of bullshit/vision.
    - leobg 5y ago
      Sound very much like the argument that you shouldn’t trust vegetarians because Hitler was one.
- Cpoll 5y ago
  According to wiki, though: > Shotwell is married to Robert Shotwell, an engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- trixie_ 5y ago
  You win the sour grapes award. Amazing how Tesla is worth a trillion and SpaceX over a hundred billion now, but it's all just a trick right? Each company conning investors for almost 20 years now. Look at all the things they haven't accomplished.
  - ohgodplsno 5y ago
    Tricking investors isn't exactly a high bar to clear either. But sure, you go on ahead and keep telling yourself that Tesla is worth more than the entire, combined auto industry when they can't even make cars with proper joints and door alignments.

panick21_ 5y ago

She is not really unsong at all. She is very, very recognized in the industry and everybody that is seriously interested in space travel knows here. She has been on my list of influential woman and given many talks and speeches all over the place. Of course she is not Musk famous, but nobody is. People who hate Musk sometimes try to claim all SpaceX is because of her. That is certainty wrong and she herself would not agree to that. But she is certainty amazing at what she does and starting out doing sales she increased here power and responsibility over the years until she was the clear 2nd in command. She allows Musk to focus on the new development, innovation and strategy.

JaimeThompson 5y ago
It's most strange to me, and I am not saying this applies to you, that one can have legit concerns about Musk and they are simply dismissed as "hate" by so many. Why some refuse to hold him responsible for his statements is just weird.
- borkyborkbork 5y ago
  What statements are you wanting to hold him responsible for?
  - JaimeThompson 5y ago
    Any statement that history has shown keeps being repeated with very little factual support to back it up. His comments on FSD come to mind as do some of his comments about how far along Tesla is on various products.
- xeromal 5y ago
  I assume it's because the conversation is pretty tired at this point. Post anything musk related on reddit and maybe HN and you'll get comments about Musk calling that diver a pedo, musk got his wealth from his dad's mines, musk having aspergers, or that musk can do nothing wrong. We've all seen it a thousand times and I'd rather just read about what SpaceX/Tesla/Musk is doing currently than past shit.