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> its not clear that he is attempting anything with Hyperloop other than what he is demonstrated to be very good at: selling ideas. While selling ideas isn't a

> its not clear that he is attempting anything with Hyperloop other than what he is demonstrated to be very good at: selling ideas. While selling ideas isn't a bad skill I think you're underselling his ability to execute, somewhat. Personally, I feel that Musk's "list of biggest risks to Tesla" has many items before "CA HSR". By the time it's built Tesla will either be (at least) a countrywide success, or not.

dragonwriter 13y ago
> While selling ideas isn't a bad skill I think you're underselling his ability to execute, somewhat. Not my intent; I think SpaceX and Tesla both show Musk can execute in engineering quite well when his energy is behind it (or, equivalently, that he is good at putting his energy in places where he can execute.) Part of that is the ability to sell ideas to (among others) investors, without which he wouldn't have the ability to execute. With regard to hyperloop, Musk has been very visibly not putting the kind of intent-to-execute behind it that he has with other endeavors, making his selling ideas skill the most relevant part of his ability to execute, but I certainly did not mean to fail to recognize his ability to execute. > Personally, I feel that Musk's "list of biggest risks to Tesla" has many items before "CA HSR". Probably. But tossing out a "I don't plan to build this, but it would be better" diversion is a pretty low-cost way of derailing the threat. It doesn't have to be the biggest or most immediate threat to be worthy of that, from a rational viewpoint. > By the time it's built Tesla will either be (at least) a countrywide success, or not. This presumes HSR (including the regional/commuter transit improvements that go with that project, and are some of the earlier investments) has no effect on the market for electric cars until its fully built out. I'd question that assumption.

dragonwriter 13y ago

> While selling ideas isn't a bad skill I think you're underselling his ability to execute, somewhat. Not my intent; I think SpaceX and Tesla both show Musk can execute in engineering quite well when his energy is behind it (or, equivalently, that he is good at putting his energy in places where he can execute.) Part of that is the ability to sell ideas to (among others) investors, without which he wouldn't have the ability to execute. With regard to hyperloop, Musk has been very visibly not putting the kind of intent-to-execute behind it that he has with other endeavors, making his selling ideas skill the most relevant part of his ability to execute, but I certainly did not mean to fail to recognize his ability to execute. > Personally, I feel that Musk's "list of biggest risks to Tesla" has many items before "CA HSR". Probably. But tossing out a "I don't plan to build this, but it would be better" diversion is a pretty low-cost way of derailing the threat. It doesn't have to be the biggest or most immediate threat to be worthy of that, from a rational viewpoint. > By the time it's built Tesla will either be (at least) a countrywide success, or not. This presumes HSR (including the regional/commuter transit improvements that go with that project, and are some of the earlier investments) has no effect on the market for electric cars until its fully built out. I'd question that assumption.