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Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

nytimes.com

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Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#141

Post by mmsimanga »

tomhoward wrote: post #37

But, he added, “if you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know. They can have the job. Is there someone who can do the job better? They can have the reins right now.” I think this hits at the crux of the issue around the performance/behaviour of Musk and other leaders of hugely ambitious companies. And I think it highlights the importance of thinking about what kinds of people it will take to lead the…

The problem with the current social media age is that it is difficult to tell how serious a problem really is. Part of the outrage is attention seeking media entities. So if you asked me what was the greater problem, Musk or the gangsters terrorizing families and murdering anyone who stands up to them (this is the reality in parts of Cape Town). I would say Musk really isn't a problem. The media and politicians don't really want to tackle the "hard" problems where lives are at stake but there seems to be more willingness for example have a go at Musk and leave the gangsters alone.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#142

Post by Zanni »

johnny22 wrote: post #139
thaumaturgy wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're aware that one of the leads of the Thai rescue operation personally had an email with Musk asking him to continue working on the sub concept "in as timely a manner as feasible"? ( https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dhv9BppUwAArP8X.jpg ) Further, Musk didn't get involved until asked to do so, deferred to other experts, and praised the efforts of everyone else involved: https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-full-story-behind…

none of that excuses that pedophile nonsense.

You're right. It doesn't. That was reprehensible. Likewise, his pedophile tweet doesn't invalidate his remarkable accomplishments. People want to squeeze celebrities into boxes, as villains or heroes, all good or all bad. Musk is flawed. We all are. I think it's okay to call him out on his failings while celebrating his achievements.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#143

Post by tomp »

stdbrouw wrote: post #135
tomp wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That Tesla and Space X couldn't exist / succeed without Musk working his employees and himself into a burnout Well does another SpaceX/Tesla exist? I don't think so. So it's very possible that that is true. Maybe the trait to start impossible companies and to work impossible hours is actually the same trait.

NASA is betting on both SpaceX and Boeing for its next manned missions, and Tesla has made electric cars fashionable, but there is no reason to expect that a couple of years from now its cars will be any better than the offering from major car companies. Clearly SpaceX and Tesla are special companies, but it's easy to overstate exactly how special.

They're so special that they both completely revolutionized their respective industries. What makes them even more special, is that neither made any big technological breakthrough. All the technology has been available for years (decades?), just not productionized. Which tells you that the "major companies" in both industries were literally sitting on their asses, enjoying their oligopolistic/monopolistic profits and doing the minimal R&D necessary to maintain them. Shame on them.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#144

Post by Rainymood »

tomp wrote: post #118
PinguTS wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just want to emphasis that Elon Musk was never and never will be the founder of Tesla. Instead, Elon Musk booted to 3 original founders out of Tesla. The original Tesla Roadster was no idea of Elon Musk and also not developed by Elon Musk. It was 3 engineers from the Valley who had the idea of the Tesla Roadster. Elon Musk was a Series A VC at Tesla at the time being. The founders had the idea of developing a hybri…

Thank god he did, otherwise we'd just have another company noone has ever heard of.

I love how, from a technical perspective, Elon Musk is a startup founder's worst dream. You start up a company, some VC literally pushes the co-founders out of the company and takes over the reins. Is this really the person HN should be rooting for?

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#145

Post by l33tbro »

mikekchar wrote: post #73
speedplane wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're thinking about it wrong. Working 120 hours a week at a normal job is torture. Working 120 hours at something you love is just living. The 120 hour/week estimates are likely over-inflated folk-lore, but still, when you have a passion for something and care, it's not work, you're just living your life the way you want to. Many say Elon long work-weeks are super-human, they're not. He's just loves doing what he's…

I used to work those kinds of hours when I was young. 16 hours a day during the week and 8 hours a day on the weekend. No days off. I enjoyed it. It's tiring, though. As I get older (50 now), I can't do it any more. I still over work -- because I really like working. A while ago I ended up in the hospital from what seems to have been a panic attack (that lasted a week...) It appears that panic attacks can really feel…

Hope you're doing better now. Panic attacks don't sound pleasant.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#146

Post by _pmf_ »

jerkstate wrote: post #59
tomhoward wrote: post #37

But, he added, “if you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know. They can have the job. Is there someone who can do the job better? They can have the reins right now.” I think this hits at the crux of the issue around the performance/behaviour of Musk and other leaders of hugely ambitious companies. And I think it highlights the importance of thinking about what kinds of people it will take to lead the…

On one hand, fuck the short seller bad news pushers. On the other hand, there are rules, Walter. Like you say, there's nobody like him, nobody effectively pursuing the same goals, and we truly do need him, so I hope he gets out of this relatively unscathed. On the other hand, you can't just lie about material stuff like this and be trusted to lead a company.

Say what you want about the tenets of Musk, Dude, at least it's an ethos.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#147

Post by tomp »

Rainymood wrote: post #144
tomp wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank god he did, otherwise we'd just have another company noone has ever heard of.

I love how, from a technical perspective, Elon Musk is a startup founder's worst dream. You start up a company, some VC literally pushes the co-founders out of the company and takes over the reins. Is this really the person HN should be rooting for?

The VC chose the best CEO (which happened to be himself) for the company, in the best interest of the company, its employees and its shareholders. History absolves him.

The real question is, were they adequately compensated for their contributions (I've no idea myself).

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#148

Post by bopbop »

johnny22 wrote: post #139
thaumaturgy wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're aware that one of the leads of the Thai rescue operation personally had an email with Musk asking him to continue working on the sub concept "in as timely a manner as feasible"? ( https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dhv9BppUwAArP8X.jpg ) Further, Musk didn't get involved until asked to do so, deferred to other experts, and praised the efforts of everyone else involved: https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-full-story-behind…

none of that excuses that pedophile nonsense.

It doesn't, but it makes the intent of the submarine construction a lot clearer - it takes it quite far away from a useless PR stunt to, at the very least generous interpretation, a requested PR stunt.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#149

Post by HeadsUpHigh »

skrebbel wrote: post #92
tomhoward wrote: post #37

But, he added, “if you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know. They can have the job. Is there someone who can do the job better? They can have the reins right now.” I think this hits at the crux of the issue around the performance/behaviour of Musk and other leaders of hugely ambitious companies. And I think it highlights the importance of thinking about what kinds of people it will take to lead the…

There's a hidden false dichotomy there: That Tesla and Space X couldn't exist / succeed without Musk working his employees and himself into a burnout. I'm not sure that that is true. The same Musk with the same employees could've perfectly well done these companies at a sane pace - maybe even without losing speed in the grand scheme of things given that less stuff would've gone wrong.

No they couldn't. Look up the history of SpaceX they barely made it work this amount of work.

Re: Elon Musk Confronts a Fateful Tweet and an ‘Excruciating’ Year

#150

Post by irishbro »

propter_hoc wrote: post #8

The article notes allegations that the Board is concerned that Mr. Musk has been taking Ambien as a sleeping aid, but instead of sleeping, has been posting bizarre tirades on Twitter. I actually have a number of American* friends who take Ambien frequently with the intent that it be a sleeping aid. However, they all commonly do exactly what Mr. Musk may be doing: failing to sleep after taking their Ambien, and instea…

Didn't Roseanne also blame her tweet controversy on taking Ambien aswel?
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