Young Elon Musk - Interview 2007 - Full Version

Summary

Elon Musk discusses his ambitious goals to advance technology and benefit humanity, including sending people to Mars with his rocket company SpaceX, transitioning the world to sustainable energy with his electric car company Tesla Motors, and catalyzing industries through innovative thinking. He explains how SpaceX builds advanced rockets and spacecraft to launch satellites and transport cargo and astronauts for NASA while developing technology to establish a civilization on Mars. He also shares his vision for Tesla to accelerate the advent of electric vehicles, address climate change from carbon emissions, and serve as an example to transform the auto industry.

Takeaways

• 📈 Elon Musk is an incredibly successful entrepreneur, having created multiple multi-billion dollar companies like PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX
• 🚀 He aims to revolutionize transportation on Earth through electric vehicles with Tesla, while making humanity multi-planetary with SpaceX
• 🛰️ SpaceX builds rockets and spacecraft to provide services to NASA and other customers, with the goal of colonizing Mars
• 👨‍🚀 Though SpaceX competes in a difficult industry, Musk believes they have no serious competition that can match their technology
• 🔋 Tesla's first car is an electric sports car to prove the technology, but future mass market sedan models aim for more affordability
• ☀️ Musk sees electric vehicles paired with solar power as key solutions to climate change and getting off oil dependency
• 📝 Though CEO of SpaceX, Musk only spends a couple days per month focused on Tesla in a more strategic oversight role
• ⏰ Unlike the stereotypical early riser CEO, Musk starts his workday from 9-9:30am, but works later into the evenings
• 🧑‍💻 He eschews the typical fancy CEO office for a simple cubicle alongside his SpaceX colleagues
• 🌎 Musk ultimately aims to solve humanity's biggest challenges - the internet, sustainable energy, space exploration and more

Q & A

What are some of Elon Musk's major entrepreneurial successes so far?

Elon Musk has created several highly successful companies, including online payment system PayPal which was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors, and rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX.

What is SpaceX's ultimate goal as a company?

SpaceX's long term goal is to help make human life multi-planetary by establishing human civilization on Mars.

Why did Tesla's first car end up being a high-end sports car?

Tesla chose a sports car as their first model because new technologies typically enter the market in a high-cost, low-volume car. As the technology matures, Tesla plans to drive the costs down for more mass market sedan models.

How does Musk split his time between his multiple CEO roles?

Though he is CEO of SpaceX, Musk spends 80% of his time focused there as his day job. He only spends about 2-3 days per month on Tesla, in more of a strategic advisor role.

What is Musk's typical work schedule?

Unlike the early morning CEO stereotype, Musk starts his SpaceX workdays around 9-9:30am. However, he tends to work later into the evenings, until about 8pm.

Why does Musk work in a simple cubicle office?

Musk eschews the typical fancy corner office suite, instead sitting alongside colleagues in a cubicle to stay grounded and collaborative.

Who does Musk see as SpaceX's main competition?

Musk asserts SpaceX has no serious competition that can match their technology and capabilities at rocketry and space exploration.

How can Tesla serve as an example for other automakers?

By proving electric vehicles can work and be desirable, Tesla hopes to drive bigger changes in the wider auto industry.

Why name the company after Nikola Tesla?

The company is named after pioneering inventor Nikola Tesla to honor his work around electric machinery and principles of magnetism.

What major global problems does Musk hope to help solve?

Musk aims to solve challenges like transitioning sustainable energy, making life multi-planetary through space travel, and more - things affecting the future of humanity.