Elon Musk on How to Build the Future • Hacker News Board

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#271

Post by colordrops » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:15 PM UTC

kstenerud wrote: post #105

It always saddens me when I see a slew of Debbie Downer comments from the HN crowd. "Yes, he ushered in the electric car revolution, but the production carbon footprint is still huge!" "Yes, he's building rockets, but he took a bunch of government money!" "Yes, he's paving the way to Mars, but what has he done for world hunger?" And it not just with Musk, but really with anyone who has been successful. I would have t…

Definitely. You've got bankers robbing the public for trillions, and wars of questionable effectiveness costing five trillion over the last decade or so, and then you've got Elon taking very large personal risks in technology that could potentially have great positive impact on humanity, and yet he gets the same level of hate in the press.

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#272

Post by jsmthrowaway » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:18 PM UTC

mikepk wrote: post #252

djcooley wrote: post #228

I have all the respect in the world for what Mr. Musk has accomplished, but it has come at an amazing cost to the people around him. He is worshiped from afar but reviled by many the closer you get to his inner circle. Go read "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." The question I always ask myself with the people who move mountains is what cost did that progress come at? What would someone'…

"I admit that mathematical science is a good thing. But excessive devotion to it is a bad thing. If we evolved a race of Isaac Newtons, that would not be progress. For the price Newton had to pay for being a supreme intellect was that he was incapable of friendship, love, fatherhood, and many other desirable things. As a man he was a failure; as a monster he was superb." -- Aldus Huxley

In Mark Manson's new book[0] he talks about how humans can excel at very few things, often barely one, and that "being a good person" for lack of a better phrase counts as one. It seems obvious in hindsight, but struck me because I hadn't thought of it that way before.

(The book is incredible, by the way. I've already read it twice, just like Derek Sivers. Recommend it highly.)

[0]: https://markmanson.net/books/subtle-art

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#273

Post by unusximmortalis » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:23 PM UTC

grecy wrote: post #237

djcooley wrote: post #228

I have all the respect in the world for what Mr. Musk has accomplished, but it has come at an amazing cost to the people around him. He is worshiped from afar but reviled by many the closer you get to his inner circle. Go read "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." The question I always ask myself with the people who move mountains is what cost did that progress come at? What would someone'…

While I understand and agree with the point you're making, I think it's also important to acknowledge we're all different, we're all good at different things and we all eventually fulfill some purpose. Some of us are great at spending time with our wives and taking the kids to soccer practice. We fill our lives with family and friends, and get immense joy from that. We're so busy, likely, we'll never do anything "not…

I believe the humanity moves on its way naturally anyway, those trying desperately to move mountains are simply wasting their lives here on Earth. A balanced way is a key to everything.

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#274

Post by PieterH » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:25 PM UTC

djcooley wrote: post #228

I have all the respect in the world for what Mr. Musk has accomplished, but it has come at an amazing cost to the people around him. He is worshiped from afar but reviled by many the closer you get to his inner circle. Go read "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." The question I always ask myself with the people who move mountains is what cost did that progress come at? What would someone'…

Since the book is not free to read online, would you provide a tl;dr?

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#275

Post by nichochar » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:27 PM UTC

djcooley wrote: post #228

I have all the respect in the world for what Mr. Musk has accomplished, but it has come at an amazing cost to the people around him. He is worshiped from afar but reviled by many the closer you get to his inner circle. Go read "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." The question I always ask myself with the people who move mountains is what cost did that progress come at? What would someone'…

This is true throughout history. Publicly selfless heroes (Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Elon Musk) often have to "sacrifice" (is it conscious?) their private selves, to be able to be the incarnation of what their work is.

It bothers a lot of people, personally I am fine with it and would make the same decision. I think it's a personality thing.

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#276

Post by dolguldur » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:28 PM UTC

If I would pray I'd pray for Elon. He's been such a source of inspiration to me. He's so brave in carrying his burden. May the fruits of his work prosper soon. Then he can take a break.

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#277

Post by dredmorbius » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:29 PM UTC

TeMPOraL wrote: post #197

hueving wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only one has been done, building rockets. It's not safe to say he paved the way for the electric car revolution since there hasn't been one.

Don't look at the puck's position, look at the first derivative.

Last time I checked, not only were the number of EVs produced and sold in the US minuscule, but the derivative was negative. I don't recall the precise year, probably 2013-2014, but fewer cars were sold in the second than the first.

I can't locate the post presently, and don't know how trends have progressed. The statistic surprised me when I found it.

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#278

Post by Paul_S » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:31 PM UTC

iMuzz wrote: post #2

Question/Answer I found interesting: Sama> How should someone figure out how they should be useful? Elon> Whatever this thing is you are trying to create.. What would be the utility delta compared to the current state of the art times how many people it would affect?

What about all the people working in marketing, software patent lawyers, drug dealers? You want them to quit their jobs?

---

Let me make my point in a less obtuse way. Most people make decisions about their careers based on opportunity and maximising profit. No one becomes a footballer to make the world a better place. This would all be fine as long as the capitalist market rewarded choices that make the world a better place. Obviously it does not and it's not the fault of a footballer that we as a civilisation choose to channel our available resources their way and not towards frivolous play like space exploration.

If anyone ever figures out a way to make the free market choose the greater good they will win all the Nobel prizes forever (we won't need Nobel prizes after that).

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#279

Post by corin_ » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:32 PM UTC

nojvek wrote: post #215

LordHumungous wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No... sorry but it sounds like you have no idea what a CEO's actual role is.

CEO - Chief EXECUTION officer. Isn't building and designing the "big piece" of execution. If he's involved in the actual execution then that means is a company laser focused on "executing" its vision. I just wish more middle management at my company knew how the product worked.

It's 'executive' not 'execution'

Re: Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

#280

Post by ellyagg » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:32 PM UTC

djcooley wrote: post #228

I have all the respect in the world for what Mr. Musk has accomplished, but it has come at an amazing cost to the people around him. He is worshiped from afar but reviled by many the closer you get to his inner circle. Go read "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." The question I always ask myself with the people who move mountains is what cost did that progress come at? What would someone'…

Why is that question so important to you? A lot of people are drains on everyone around them and they don't move mountains. If the quest is valuable enough to society, it far outweighs the costs to a single man's relationships.

As a rationalization for why you yourself would not want to live that way, that's fair enough. Neither would I.