3 ms·

This somehow reminds me of the mimesis we saw in previous decades. 2nd rate CEOs copied all the wrong things Steve Jobs did for years and that took them nowhere

This somehow reminds me of the mimesis we saw in previous decades. 2nd rate CEOs copied all the wrong things Steve Jobs did for years and that took them nowhere. Black turtlenecks and new balance shoes isn't a shortcut to greatness.

lupire 4y ago
But now we have 3rd rate CEOs copying a fraud CEO. Steve Jobs had good taste and a healthy respect for the work of the engineers who he took credit from. Musk thinks (or at least nerds to project) he's the smartest engineer at his companies. Job was a proud dropout from his liberal arts degree. Musk got an econ debgree but has been lying his whole life about getting a Physics degree and being admitted to grad school.
- 0xbadc0de5 4y ago
  Regardless of what I think of the wisdom of his foray into social media, it's hard to ignore the obvious success that Musk has had in bringing electric vehicles to the mainstream and vastly lowering the cost to put mass into orbit through rapidly reusable launch vehicles. Likewise, Starlink is looking like it may well succeed in bringing internet connectivity to the most remote and under-served areas of the planet. That's not nothing - and I don't think one (or several) poorly-considered venture negates his past successes. Just makes him a flawed human like the rest of us.
  - kaba0 4y ago
    The main reason spacex can put mass into orbit for a smaller price than nasa is that as a private company (living off government subsidies) they don’t have to pay all the insurance upfront.
    - 0xbadc0de5 4y ago
      A private company started, funded and run by who? I don't think that claiming the Falcon 9's reusability is not a significant factor in SpaceX's comparatively low launch costs stands up to scrutiny. How could it not lower costs significantly? Likewise, claiming SpaceX benefits from government subsidies is a red herring - all aerospace companies benefit from government subsidies as the government is their primary customer.

lupire 4y ago

But now we have 3rd rate CEOs copying a fraud CEO. Steve Jobs had good taste and a healthy respect for the work of the engineers who he took credit from. Musk thinks (or at least nerds to project) he's the smartest engineer at his companies. Job was a proud dropout from his liberal arts degree. Musk got an econ debgree but has been lying his whole life about getting a Physics degree and being admitted to grad school.

0xbadc0de5 4y ago
Regardless of what I think of the wisdom of his foray into social media, it's hard to ignore the obvious success that Musk has had in bringing electric vehicles to the mainstream and vastly lowering the cost to put mass into orbit through rapidly reusable launch vehicles. Likewise, Starlink is looking like it may well succeed in bringing internet connectivity to the most remote and under-served areas of the planet. That's not nothing - and I don't think one (or several) poorly-considered venture negates his past successes. Just makes him a flawed human like the rest of us.
- kaba0 4y ago
  The main reason spacex can put mass into orbit for a smaller price than nasa is that as a private company (living off government subsidies) they don’t have to pay all the insurance upfront.
  - 0xbadc0de5 4y ago
    A private company started, funded and run by who? I don't think that claiming the Falcon 9's reusability is not a significant factor in SpaceX's comparatively low launch costs stands up to scrutiny. How could it not lower costs significantly? Likewise, claiming SpaceX benefits from government subsidies is a red herring - all aerospace companies benefit from government subsidies as the government is their primary customer.