Elon Musk's Work Ethics Will Give You Goosebumps

Summary

In this candid interview, the subject reflects on his grueling work schedule, often exceeding 100 hours a week, and the sacrifices made to keep companies like Tesla afloat. He shares his philosophy on the importance of advancing technology to achieve what seems magical, the challenges of starting a business, and the resilience needed to overcome failures. Despite facing criticism from heroes like Neil Armstrong, he remains undeterred, driven by a passion for innovation and the desire to create products that bring joy.

Takeaways

• 🕒 The speaker worked an extreme schedule of 22 hours a day, 7 days a week, even sleeping in the factory to fulfill his work commitments.
• 🚀 He acknowledges the grueling nature of his work, stating that it was painful and not recommended for anyone, but felt compelled to do so to prevent Tesla from potentially failing.
• 💡 The idea of inventing things was inspired by the quote that advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, which he found appealing.
• 🤔 Initially, he was unsure of his career path, but eventually decided that inventing could be 'really cool' due to the potential to create things that were once considered magical.
• 🚗 Starting an electric car and rocket company was not thought to be easy, and he expected they might fail, but he was committed to nurturing them like a child regardless of personal cost.
• 💸 In 2008, during a financial crisis, he faced a difficult decision to either invest his remaining funds into one company, risking the other's failure, or split the funds, risking both might fail.
• 💡 He values creating products that people love and find joy in, which he believes is rare, and aims to make things that people truly love with Tesla.
• 🔥 Starting a business requires a high pain threshold, and he likens the experience to 'eating glass and staring into the abyss', indicating the hardships involved.
• 🤝 He emphasizes the importance of seeking out and listening to negative feedback, as it can provide crucial insights for improvement.
• 🚀 Despite multiple failures and criticism, including from his heroes, he never considered giving up and remained committed to his vision for SpaceX.
• 🌟 The speaker's life has been full of surprises, and he did not expect to achieve the level of success he has, highlighting the unpredictable nature of one's journey.

Q & A

How many hours a day did the speaker work at one point in his career?

The speaker worked 22 hours a day.

What was the speaker's routine like during the period of intense work?

He was working seven days a week, sleeping in the factory, and had worked in various departments including the paint shop, general assembly, and body shop.

What health concerns did the speaker express about working such long hours?

The speaker mentioned that working this hard was painful and not recommended, affecting his ears, brain, and heart.

What was the speaker's mindset like when he was young?

When he was young, he didn't know what he was going to do when he got older and felt strange because his mind was always filled with ideas.

What quote influenced the speaker's interest in inventing things?

The quote from author C. Clarke stating that 'efficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic' influenced his interest in inventing.

What was the speaker's initial perception about building an electric car and a rocket?

He didn't think it would be easy and believed there was a high chance they would fail.

How did the speaker describe the experience of starting a company?

He compared starting a company to having a child, where you have to take care of it even if it ruins you.

What was the most difficult financial decision the speaker faced in 2008?

The most difficult decision was whether to put all his remaining money into one company, risking the other, or split it between two companies, risking both might die.

What is the speaker's approach to seeking feedback on his products?

He actively seeks out and listens carefully to negative feedback, even asking friends to tell him what they don't like about his products.

What was the speaker's strategy when trying to buy rockets in Russia?

He visited Russia three times to look at buying refurbished ICBMs, despite being thought of as crazy.

How did the speaker handle the criticism from his heroes like Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan?

He felt sad about the criticism and wished they would visit and see the work being done, hoping it would change their minds.

What is the speaker's attitude towards giving up when faced with failure?

He never gives up, stating that he would have to be dead or completely incapacitated to stop.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Intense Work Ethic and the Struggle for Success

This paragraph details the grueling work schedule of the speaker, who worked up to 22 hours a day, seven days a week, even sleeping in the factory. The speaker reflects on the extreme dedication required to keep Tesla afloat, acknowledging the toll it took on his physical and mental health. Despite the hardships, the speaker finds inspiration in the idea of advancing technology to a point where it becomes indistinguishable from magic. The narrative also touches on the speaker's early life, his initial uncertainty about his future, and the pivotal moment in 2008 when he had to make a difficult financial decision to save his companies.

05:00

🛠️ Overcoming Obstacles and the Importance of Passion

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the challenges of starting a business, emphasizing the need for a high pain threshold and the importance of genuinely enjoying one's work. He shares personal anecdotes about his first company, including living in an office due to financial constraints and the resourceful way he secured internet access. The speaker also highlights the value of seeking and heeding negative feedback to improve products and services. His determination is evident as he recounts his attempts to buy a refurbished ICBM from Russia for SpaceX and his unwavering commitment to the project despite initial failures and skepticism from renowned figures in the space industry.

Keywords

💡Work Ethic

Work ethic refers to the values and attitudes that individuals hold towards work, emphasizing the importance of hard work and dedication. In the video, the speaker mentions working 22 hours a day and 7 days a week, which exemplifies an extreme work ethic. This level of commitment is portrayed as necessary for the survival of his company, Tesla, and is a central theme of the video.

💡Imploding

Imploding, in this context, refers to the feeling of being overwhelmed or consumed by the pressure and workload. The speaker expresses concern about the potential negative effects of working too hard, using the term to convey the idea that such an intense work schedule could be detrimental to one's health, as he mentions feeling pain in his ears, brain, and heart.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value. The video's speaker is driven by the desire to advance technology to levels that are akin to magic, as he quotes an author saying 'efficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' This concept is central to his motivation for creating new and groundbreaking products.

💡Failure

Failure is the inability to achieve a desired outcome and is often a part of the process in innovation and entrepreneurship. The speaker acknowledges the high risk of failure in his ventures, such as with Tesla and SpaceX, and discusses the importance of persistence despite multiple launch failures of SpaceX rockets.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. The speaker demonstrates resilience by splitting his remaining funds between two struggling companies in 2008, a decision that ultimately saved both, illustrating the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching, and running a new business. The video's speaker discusses the challenges and rewards of starting a business, emphasizing the need for a high pain threshold and the importance of creating products that people love and find joy in using.

💡Passion

Passion is a strong emotional connection or enthusiasm for a subject or activity. The speaker stresses the importance of liking what one does, as it drives one to think about their work even when not actively engaged in it, which is essential for success in entrepreneurship and innovation.

💡Feedback

Feedback is information received from others that provides an opportunity to improve a product or process. The speaker advises actively seeking out and listening to negative feedback, as it is crucial for identifying areas of improvement, even though it can be painful to hear.

💡Risk

Risk is the possibility of something bad happening. The speaker's ventures into electric cars and rocketry involved significant risks, including financial loss and public criticism. However, he was willing to take these risks in pursuit of his goals.

💡Determination

Determination is the firmness of purpose or resolve. The speaker's refusal to give up, even after three consecutive rocket launch failures, exemplifies determination. This trait is highlighted as a key to overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

💡Criticism

Criticism is the act of expressing disapproval or pointing out faults. The speaker mentions facing criticism from American heroes like Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan, who testified against commercial space flight. Despite this, he remains undeterred, using their criticism as motivation to prove his ideas are viable.

Highlights

Worked 22 hours a day, 7 days a week to prevent Tesla from dying.

Sleeping in the factory and working in various departments like paint shop and body shop.

Admits working such long hours is not recommended and is painful for health.

Had no clear career path in mind as a young person, felt different from others.

Inspired by the quote that advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Didn't think building an electric car or rocket would be easy, but believed in the potential.

Compares starting a company to having a child - you must take care of it even if it ruins you.

Faced difficult choice in 2008 of putting remaining money into one company or splitting it, risking both could fail.

Both companies survived after making the tough decision to split the money.

Aim at Tesla is to make things that people love and give them joy - rare in the world.

Starting a business requires a high pain threshold and persistence.

Describes the painful journey of starting a company with lots of challenges and risks.

Shares his surprise at the unexpected success and impact he has had in his life.

Started an internet company in 1995 after failing to get a job, out of necessity.

Emphasizes the importance of really liking what you do, even when not working.

When starting a company, need to work super hard, every waking hour.

Shares the story of sleeping in the office, showering at YMCA, and working around the clock.

Advises actively seeking out and listening to negative feedback, even if painful.

Tells the story of trying to buy refurbished ICBMs from Russia for SpaceX.

SpaceX faced three failed launches before the fourth one succeeded.

Had to become chief engineer of the rocket himself due to lack of suitable candidates.

Never considered giving up even after multiple failures.

Disappointed by criticism from his heroes like Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan.

Believes his critics would change their minds if they saw the progress being made.

Transcripts

22 hours a day like what how many hours

working yeah so seven days a week

sleeping in the factory

uh i worked everywhere from i worked in

the oaks in the paint shop general

assembly body shop you ever worry about

yourself imploding like just too much

absolutely

no one should

put this many hours into work

this is not good

and people should not work this hard i'm

not they should not do this this is very

painful

painful in what sense

it's because my ears my brain

and my heart

turns

this is not recommended for anyone i

just did it because if i didn't do it

then tesla

good chance has it died i don't think

you'd necessarily want to be me

it's very hard to turn it off

all the time

it doesn't stop

when i was young i didn't really know

what i was going to do

when i got older i think when i was i

don't know 506 or something i thought i

was insane

because it was clear that other people

did not

would their mind wasn't exploding with

ideas it was just strange

it was like

[Music]

i'm strange eventually i thought that

the idea of inventing things would be

really cool

the reason i thought that was because i

read a quote from author c clock which

said that efficiently advanced

technology is indistinguishable from

magic

and and that's really true if you go

back

say 300 years the things that we take

for granted today uh would be you'd be

burned at the stake for

you know being able to fly um that's

crazy

being able to see over long distances

being able to communicate this is stuff

that that really would be considered

magic in times past if i can do

some of those things basically if i can

advance technology that's like magic and

that would be really cool

were you a little naive when you thought

i can easily build an electric car and a

rocket

i didn't think it would be easy um

like i said i thought they would

probably fail

um but you know like

creating a company is almost like having

a child so it's sort of like how do you

say your child should not have food

so one once you have the company you

have to feed it and nurse it

and

take care of it even if it

it ruins you yeah

[Music]

but uh supposing there was some tough

times in uh

end of 2008

how did you get through that period of

crisis

yeah

two thousand and we just break for a

second

you wanna wait a little while

yeah sure if it was worth it

let me sure if it was worth it one of

the most difficult choices i ever faced

uh in life was in 2008.

i think i had maybe 30 million dollars

left or 30 or 40 million left in 2008 i

had two choices

i could

put it all into one company

and then the other company would

definitely die

or split it between the two companies

and but if i split up between two

companies then both might die

and you know when you put your blood

sweat and tears into creating something

you're building something it's like a

child

and so it's like which one

am i going to let one starve to death

i couldn't bring myself to do it so i

put i

split the money between the two

unfortunately thank goodness they both

came through

you know with tesla we're like trying to

make things that people love how many

how many things can you buy that you

really love that

really give you joy

so rare so rare i wish there were more

things

that's what we're trying to just make

things that somebody loves

yes doing something useful

for other people that i like doing

generally

starting a business i'd say

number one is have a high pain threshold

that's um there's a friend of mine who's

got a good saying which is that starting

a company is like eating glass and

stirring into the abyss that's generally

what happens because when you first

start a company there's lots of optimism

and things that things are great and

then so happiness at first is high then

you encounter all sorts of issues and

happiness will steadily decline

and then you'll go through a whole world

of hurt

and then eventually you'll if you

succeed and in most cases you will not

succeed and tesla almost didn't succeed

you came very close to failure then if

you succeed then after a long time you

will finally get back to happiness

and i want to know what is the one thing

that has surprised you about your life

well i certainly i'm surprised by the

whole thing honestly i certainly didn't

expect to be to be uh for any of these

things to happen honestly

um

in fact the only reason i started a

company back in 95 an internet company

was because i couldn't get it there were

only a few internet companies and i

couldn't get a job at any of them

[Music]

i tried to get a job at netscape

and

sent my resume and i tried hanging out

in the lobby but i was too shy to talk

to anyone

and then i was like okay well

i guess i'll have to start a company

because i can't get a job anywhere

really really liking what you do

whatever area that you get into

um

given that you know even if you're if

you're

the best the best there's always a

chance of failure so i think it's

important that you really like whatever

you're doing

if you don't like it

life is too short if you like what

you're doing you think about it even

when you're not working it's something

that your mind is drawn to

and and if you don't like it you just

really can't make it work i think well

you want to do and particularly if

you're starting a company you need to

work super hard

so what what does super hard mean when

my brother and i were starting our first

company i didn't have any money in fact

i had negative money um i had huge

student debts or in fact i couldn't

afford a place to stay and an office so

instead of getting an apartment we just

rented a small office and we slept on

the couch

and we showered at the the ymca and and

there there wasn't there was an isp on

the floor below us just like the little

tiny isp and we drilled a hole through

the floor and connected a null motor

cable that that gave us our internet

connectivity for like 100 bucks a month

and we're so hot up we had just one

computer so the website was up during

the day and i was coding at night

seven days a week all the time and i

briefly had a girlfriend in that period

and in order to

be with me she had to sleep in the

office

so work hard like i mean every waking

hour that's the thing i would say

particularly if you're starting a

company it's very important to to

actively seek out and listen very

carefully to negative feedback and this

is something that people tend to avoid

because it's it's painful when um when

friends get a product i say look

don't tell me what you like tell me what

you don't like otherwise your friend is

not going to tell you what he doesn't

like right this is going to say oh i

love this and that and and then and

leave out the this is the stuff i don't

like list and sometimes even your

enemies give you good negative feedback

so i actually went to i went to russia

three times to look at buying a

refurbished icbm i can tell you it was

very weird going there in 2000 late 2001

2002

going to the russian rocket forces and

saying i'd like to buy

two of your biggest rockets they thought

i was crazy but but i did have money so

that was

that was okay

one good friend of mine collected a

whole series of videos of rockets

blowing up

and made me watch those she just didn't

want me to lose all my money for spacex

the first three launches failed

we're just barely able to scrape

together enough

parts and money to do the the fourth

launch that fourth launch had failed we

would have been dead

i tried very hard to to get the right

expertise in for for spacex i tried hard

to to find a great chief engineer for

the rocket but the good chief engineers

wouldn't join and the bad ones well

there was no no point in hiring him so i

ended up being chief engineer of the

rocket

so if i could have found somebody better

than we would have maybe had less than

three failures when you had that third

failure in a row

did you think

i need to pack this in never

why not

i don't ever give up

i mean i'd have to be

dead or completely incapacitated you

know there are american heroes who don't

like this idea

neil armstrong gene cernan have both

testified against commercial space

flight and the way that you're

developing it and i wonder what you

think of that

i was very sad to see that um because

those guys are

yeah

you know those guys are heroes of mine

so it's really tough

you know i i wish they would come and

visit and and see the hardware that

we're doing here

and i think that would change their mind

they inspired you to do this didn't they

yes

and to see them casting stones in your

direction

[Music]

[Applause]

it's difficult

did you expect them to cheer you on

so they hoping they would when critics

say you can't do this your answer to

them is we've done it