5 ms·

He doesn't actually do any of the work in developing those technologies. He didn't even found Tesla. He's just the front man with enough money to buy titles l

He doesn't actually do any of the work in developing those technologies. He didn't even found Tesla. He's just the front man with enough money to buy titles like "chief engineer" and "founder". A complete grifter.

acchow 2y ago
When you get to higher level, you’re not doing work but instead you are guiding work and making decisions. Whenever you don't know which way to go, you consult someone more senior. Those people do the same with their seniors. And so on. There are many stories from people who have worked with Elon scattered across books and interviews. He makes wild decisions, tells people to do it, and somehow the sum of these wild ideas works out. Remember, the idea of landing a reusable rocket was abandoned long ago by many nations because it was deemed impossible or financially infeasible. Yet here we are with SpaceX dropping LOE launch prices per kg by 90-98%. You can call Elon many things, but a grifter he is not.
- dietr1ch 2y ago
  > Remember, the idea of landing a reusable rocket was abandoned long ago by many nations because it was deemed impossible or financially infeasible. Yet here we are with SpaceX dropping LOE launch prices per kg by 90-98%. It's almost like revisiting the wildest ideas turns into feasible ones thanks to steady progress all around (science, manufacturing, better pricing). I guess what's key is being lucky to re-attempt something at the right time. Just look at how long things from the mother of all demos took to become successful products, hell, we are finally getting the hang of collaborative editing and video conferencing was awful still 40yrs after in 2008.
  - bilvar 2y ago
    You forgot all the ridicule endured for all the previous failed attempts and people how "stupid" he is for not listening to his engineers that the chopstick landing is not feasible.
treme 2y ago
you don't know anything about how business works if you can't appreciate how Elon managed to turn Tesla at concept car stage to current mass manufacturing capacities and being more valuable than next 7 car companies combined. the man got into Stanford for Physics, and there are more than enough anecdotes from his biography done by Walter Isaacson that confirm his technical prowess.
- kibwen 2y ago
  > if you can't appreciate how Elon managed to turn Tesla at concept car stage to current mass manufacturing capacities and being more valuable than next 7 car companies combined So government bailouts followed by cultivating a breathless cult who throw money at making your stock the most overvalued asset in history?
  - treme 2y ago
    Tesla took government loans and paid them all back with interest. there was never any bailout but I can tell you just hate the man regardless of facts. Feel free to put your money where your mouth is by shorting TESLA if you feel like it's so overvalued. and get crushed like everyone that did just that along the way.
    - kibwen 2y ago
      > Feel free to put your money where your mouth is by shorting TESLA if you feel like it's so overvalued As a smart man once said: "the market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent".
      - treme 2y ago
        As a smart man once said: 'A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.' https://www.quora.com/Was-Tesla-bailed-out-by-the-US-government https://www.quora.com/Was-Tesla-bailed-out-by-the-US-governm... No, Tesla did not receive any funds under the 2009 auto industry bailout.[1] The $80.7 billion went to Chrysler and GM. Tesla did receive a government loan of $465 million under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, a program signed into law by Bush in 2008. Tesla subsequently repaid that loan.
TheAlchemist 2y ago
That's bullshit. He is a grifter, and I believe he's going to prison for fraud soon. But it's also true that he's / was incredible at attracting top talent, pushing seemingly impossible projects and delivering.
- tim333 2y ago
  Prison for fraud? What for?

acchow 2y ago

When you get to higher level, you’re not doing work but instead you are guiding work and making decisions. Whenever you don't know which way to go, you consult someone more senior. Those people do the same with their seniors. And so on. There are many stories from people who have worked with Elon scattered across books and interviews. He makes wild decisions, tells people to do it, and somehow the sum of these wild ideas works out. Remember, the idea of landing a reusable rocket was abandoned long ago by many nations because it was deemed impossible or financially infeasible. Yet here we are with SpaceX dropping LOE launch prices per kg by 90-98%. You can call Elon many things, but a grifter he is not.

dietr1ch 2y ago
> Remember, the idea of landing a reusable rocket was abandoned long ago by many nations because it was deemed impossible or financially infeasible. Yet here we are with SpaceX dropping LOE launch prices per kg by 90-98%. It's almost like revisiting the wildest ideas turns into feasible ones thanks to steady progress all around (science, manufacturing, better pricing). I guess what's key is being lucky to re-attempt something at the right time. Just look at how long things from the mother of all demos took to become successful products, hell, we are finally getting the hang of collaborative editing and video conferencing was awful still 40yrs after in 2008.
- bilvar 2y ago
  You forgot all the ridicule endured for all the previous failed attempts and people how "stupid" he is for not listening to his engineers that the chopstick landing is not feasible.

treme 2y ago

you don't know anything about how business works if you can't appreciate how Elon managed to turn Tesla at concept car stage to current mass manufacturing capacities and being more valuable than next 7 car companies combined. the man got into Stanford for Physics, and there are more than enough anecdotes from his biography done by Walter Isaacson that confirm his technical prowess.

kibwen 2y ago
> if you can't appreciate how Elon managed to turn Tesla at concept car stage to current mass manufacturing capacities and being more valuable than next 7 car companies combined So government bailouts followed by cultivating a breathless cult who throw money at making your stock the most overvalued asset in history?
- treme 2y ago
  Tesla took government loans and paid them all back with interest. there was never any bailout but I can tell you just hate the man regardless of facts. Feel free to put your money where your mouth is by shorting TESLA if you feel like it's so overvalued. and get crushed like everyone that did just that along the way.
  - kibwen 2y ago
    > Feel free to put your money where your mouth is by shorting TESLA if you feel like it's so overvalued As a smart man once said: "the market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent".
    - treme 2y ago
      As a smart man once said: 'A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.' https://www.quora.com/Was-Tesla-bailed-out-by-the-US-government https://www.quora.com/Was-Tesla-bailed-out-by-the-US-governm... No, Tesla did not receive any funds under the 2009 auto industry bailout.[1] The $80.7 billion went to Chrysler and GM. Tesla did receive a government loan of $465 million under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, a program signed into law by Bush in 2008. Tesla subsequently repaid that loan.

TheAlchemist 2y ago

That's bullshit. He is a grifter, and I believe he's going to prison for fraud soon. But it's also true that he's / was incredible at attracting top talent, pushing seemingly impossible projects and delivering.

tim333 2y ago
Prison for fraud? What for?