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Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

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Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#91

Post by s2g »

mephitix wrote: post #5

I was on this call. It was extremely cringey/embarrassing to hear Elon dismiss valid questions. At the same time, it was fantastic to see a young, smart, retail investor (Gali from Hyperchange) get to ask so many questions directly to the leadership team. I thought before the call that Gali would get to ask only one question, like the other analysts. He was able to ask almost 10! It was surreal. I was left feeling th…

It was fantastic to watch him use Gali as a PR tool while he dodged real questions?

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#92

Post by bitwize »

I get the feeling Elon thinks of Tesla as an OLPC for EVs: he doesn't care if the business fails so much as it gets the concept of consumer EVs out there and in people's minds.

Which probably doesn't make investors happy and understandably so, but the Musk moves in mysterious ways.

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#93

Post by vkou »

askl56 wrote: post #4
natch wrote: post #3

Anyone know of a call-in number to hear a playback of the call? Or is it online anywhere?

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-dyiASgGkk

There's also a transcript on Yahoo Finance. [1]

[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/edited-transcript-tsla-earnin...

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#94

Post by agumonkey »

I always have an issue about the statistical viewpoint about safety. Musk finds it outrageous that AP like products are nailed by the press but I find it quite normal. It's a new thing, and it's related to injury, it will be pinned. I wouldn't expect any otherwise. Musk should just swallow the pill and just work around that. Press won't write about your car that doesn't kill people. That's absurd.

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#95

Post by s2g »

thaumaturgy wrote: post #36
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Sacconaghi pressed ahead with another query about Tesla lowering its 2018 capital expenditure projection to $3 billion, from $3.4 billion. Ahuja said the carmaker would spend less by simplifying its approach to automation and curtailing infrastructure outlays. 'And so where specifically will you be in terms of capital requirements?' Sacconaghi said. 'Excuse me. Next. Next,' Musk said to the call operator. 'Boring, b…

I'm not defending Elon's behavior here, but speaking more generally: if you're in a place where you need to maintain maximum productivity for a while, because a deadline has slipped for example, meetings can turn into a massive time sink if you don't act like a total nazi during them. In so many meetings, people just want to hear themselves talk, whether to offer some opinion, reiterate some point, or ask some useles…

He spent 20 minutes answering softball questions from a youtuber instead.

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#96

Post by xkjkls »

thaumaturgy wrote: post #36
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Sacconaghi pressed ahead with another query about Tesla lowering its 2018 capital expenditure projection to $3 billion, from $3.4 billion. Ahuja said the carmaker would spend less by simplifying its approach to automation and curtailing infrastructure outlays. 'And so where specifically will you be in terms of capital requirements?' Sacconaghi said. 'Excuse me. Next. Next,' Musk said to the call operator. 'Boring, b…

I'm not defending Elon's behavior here, but speaking more generally: if you're in a place where you need to maintain maximum productivity for a while, because a deadline has slipped for example, meetings can turn into a massive time sink if you don't act like a total nazi during them. In so many meetings, people just want to hear themselves talk, whether to offer some opinion, reiterate some point, or ask some useles…

Yeah, but a conference call with investors is not the kind of meeting you cut short. Maybe a weekly status meeting sure, but your quarterly call with people who if things go south, you'll have to rely on their largess to borrow money from? That's something you treat with care.

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#97

Post by mephitix »

howaboutnmc wrote: post #66

Musk literally said to an investor "Please sell our stock and don't buy it.". Transcript : https://seekingalpha.com/article/4169027-tesla-tsla-q1-2018-...

Context is important :) He was talking specifically to and about day-traders:

"We have no interest in satisfying the desires of day traders. I couldn't care less. Please sell our stock and don't buy it."

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#99

Post by IncRnd »

kneel wrote: post #72
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> he's Elon Musk and he doesn't care about investor returns Then he shouldn't be the CEO of a public company which continues to sell stock and debt to investors on the promise of a return. Also, Elon Musk very much does care about returns. He has a great track record in that department. He's just learned it's not something that's healthy to focus on in the short-term. Unfortunately, running out of cash forces the com…

I think what he did is awesome. Who cares what wall street thinks? They're mostly a bunch of leeches passing around paper and overreacting to news articles. Tesla will be fine.

Tesla wouldn't have grown if it weren't for Wall Street and investors.

There are elderly people with their futures invested, pension funds that will pay people's bills, etc. Tesla really should answer the questions of its owners.

Re: Tesla Plunges After a Conference Call

#100

Post by danso »

mmsimanga wrote: post #75
tensor wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the sake of society, I hope Musk succeeds. We've spent too much time as a culture celebrating fairly useless achievements and being unwilling to dare to do the things that will truly take us forward.

Agreed. At this moment on HN front page we have Musk story and the Fake It Till You Make It story[1]. Illustrates the different ways of achieving success in the modern world. I prefer the Musk way. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16986701

Whatever Musk's and Tesla's current weaknesses, it's undeniable that they made a real impact in making electric vehicles mainstream. No small feat when you consider the entrenchment of the auto industry and infrastructure.
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