How Elon gets results
My main takeaway: delete and simplify
1. Mission Above Everything
The mission comes first.
Keep the entire company committed to a common goal.
Stay heads-down doing useful things for civilization.
Life needs to be interesting and edgy.
2. War Mode – No Retreat
Retreat is not an option.
Be wired for war.
Do not fear losing. It hurts the first 50 times but then you’ll be able to play with less emotion. You will take more risks.
3. Frontline General
The leader should be on the front lines. You should be a battlefield general.
“If they see the general out on the battlefield, the troops are going to be motivated. Wherever Napoleon was, that’s where his armies would do best.”
Never ask your troops to do something you wouldn’t do.
No work about work, just work.
Go to the problem. Get on the plane. Fly to the source. Go to the exact location in the factory. Go to the problem and stay there until it’s resolved.
4. Maniacal Urgency and Cadence
A maniacal sense of urgency is our operating principle.
Repetition is persuasive. “I became a broken record on the algorithm. I think it’s helpful to say it to an annoying degree.”
When something is important and has to be done quickly, have meetings every 24 hours to run the algorithm and check on the previous days progress. You’ll be shocked at how fast this speeds things up.
5. First Principles Engineering
Product design should be driven by engineers.
You should not separate engineering from product design.
Having separate design and production departments is bullshit. Keep everything together and feedback immediate.
Camaraderie is dangerous. It makes it hard for people to challenge each other’s work.
The only rules are the ones dictated by the laws of physics. Everything else is a recommendation.
If things aren’t going well, throw away the existing design, start from first principles, question every requirement based on fundamental physics.
6. The Algorithm
Apply The Algorithm constantly. (1) Question every requirement. (2) Delete any part of the process you can. (3) Simplify and optimize. (4) Accelerate cycle time. (5) Automate.
You should go ultra-hardcore on deletion and simplification.
Find the limit. You want to delete as much as possible and you can’t do that unless you find the limit.
If you aren’t adding back at least 10% of the things you deleted, then you didn’t delete enough…
Have a relentless dedication to questioning every requirement.
The best part is no part.
Delete, delete, delete, delete.
7. Talent
Hire for attitude. Skills can be taught. Attitude changes require a brain transplant.
Good attitude = A desire to work maniacally hard.
8. Control and Architecture
Maintain control. Avoid joint ventures. Eliminate middlemen.