Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

businessinsider.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 107 posts

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#71

Post by Alupis »

joecool1029 wrote: post #63
Alupis wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're all adults, don't like his style, don't work for him. It's that simple. Obviously enough people don't think his style is harsh or vicious, as described in the article, otherwise his numerous companies wouldn't have a line out the door of prospective employees. My take on the article was Musk drives you like a good highschool sports coach. Demanding, hard, unforgiving... and you either live up to the high expect…

> Which actually sounds wonderful... working with an entire organization that is aligned in thought and motivations, and everyone bringing their 'A' game. Compare that to your current job... Join a cult? > Not to mention the guy in the article only worked with Musk for less than 1 year, over 20 years ago. He's likely much worse now. A person's nature doesn't change so much over the years but the experiences they have…

> Join a cult?

I remember, just a little over a year ago where the fever surrounding anything Musk related could only be reasonably described as a cult.

It was amazing to witness... the guy could do no wrong, ever. It didn't matter how outlandish the idea was, how uninformed the plan was, how badly he went about it... he was god on earth.

Then he says a few things Californian's disagreed with during the peak of Covid insanity and suddenly, nearly overnight, he's a super villain.

The transformation has been truly breathtaking to witness.

He's still the same guy from a year ago folks. Let that sink in...

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#72

Post by dekhn »

etblg wrote: post #31
danielodievich wrote: post #8

I think Elon Musk is trying to be Tony Stark. Tony Stark is a fun character to read about in comic books and see fly around in a movie but he'd be insufferable in the real world. I think he's going to lose his shirt at this dumb Twitter thing and maybe that will be a humble Tony Stark post-Thanos snap style rebirth...

In the comic books he's also an alcoholic. In the first movie he's a rich kid who inherited his wealth, is making a killing selling arms, and only changes his tune after the consequences of his actions lead him to being captured and nearly killed -- where he decides to change his tune and become a one man army, judge jury and executioner unbound by laws. He's really a bizarre character to idolize in many ways, the re…

the best way to look at movies is, "the good guys are really the bad guys, and vice versa". Thanos was right, Darth Vader really did bring balance to the Force, and the Alien from Aliens was really just a pacifist who was looking to maintain a secure home.

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#73

Post by Maursault »

numpad0 wrote: post #42
Animats wrote: post #7

Is Musk bipolar?

I think maybe it's not worth much trying to stereotype people into mental diseases to blame for behaviors, until we'd identify the causes and properly characterize those classes. By the way, from what I learn on the Internet, I'd agree with the other comment that he's a jackass.

Personality disorders are not stereotypes. Symptoms are not blamed on the disease; they reveal it. Would you also say, "let's not stereotype someone as disabled by speculating on whether their leg is broken just because we can see them limping and their bone sticking out?" If the symptoms are visible, by all means, let's help the mentally ill by being honest.

"Jackass" is slang for a foolish or stupid person, and as Musk has degrees in Physics and Economics from Penn, I don't think that remotely fits, unless GP was being kind. "Jackass" is also a synonym for "asshole," which is a colloquial term for narcissist.

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#74

Post by cmrdporcupine »

Alupis wrote: post #68
zero_shift wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is your sports coach knows what good looks like. Musk is a bloviating idiot demanding on-paper code review.

The guy literally earned hundreds of millions of dollars by writing code. I think that qualifies him to do code reviews however he wants... no? My code has earned me zero millions so far... > The difference is your sports coach knows what good looks like How can we honestly say Musk doesn't? Has his numerous successes not demonstrated he clearly knows what he's doing? All of his thousands and thousands of employees a…

What code has Musk ever written?

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#75

Post by camjohnson26 »

friendlyHornet wrote: post #34
sandworm101 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guy has money and acolytes in high places. Quit if you want, but dont make an enemy of someone who can blacklist you. Just leave. Dont make a scene.

This. We're talking about a guy who publicly falsely accused a guy he was jealous of of being a pedo without evidence. Just imagine what he would do if he could get away with it without backlash I wouldn't want to gez on his bad side because I think he has the power and pettiness to ruin my life

You don’t have to imagine: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-03-13/when-elon...

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#76

Post by more_corn »

kenjackson wrote: post #9
stormbrew wrote: post #3

This article reads like an abused partner defending their abuser. This kind of double-sidedness is extremely common in abusive relationships, in large part because it's a really effective method of exerting control over someone while encouraging them to blame themselves for being abused. > If there are employees not aligned with that vision, he will chew them out and he will do it in a vicious way, which is his right…

No one has a right to chew you out in a vicious way. As owner he has a right to fire you, but if I were a Twitter employee and he raised his voice to me, I'd be right in face at twice the volume. I'd have to get paid a lot more than a "competitive" salary to be viciously chewed out.

Totally

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#77

Post by akomtu »

HWR_14 wrote: post #58
akomtu wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was the Twitter's board that forced Musk to buy it.

Twitter's board would have been sued to hell and back if they hadn't made him live up to his contract. They would have been left personally penniless. Meanwhile, Musk initiated every stage of the acquisition and dictated the terms.

Then it is that omnipotent Mr. Shareholder that could sue the board is the villain here: he knew what Musk was going to do, he knew that Musk wanted to back out, yet he chose to press the board.

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#78

Post by timbit42 »

Nokinside wrote: post #67

Sounds like Bill Gates. He yelled and bullied people to get what he wanted (and he has admitted it). Steve Jobs was also part of this club, more or less. There is no denying this type of uncivilized abusive leadership works sometimes. It drives off people not suited to it, but results speak for themselves. Complete opposite approaches work also. I think it's tied to leaders personality. Asshole can't succeed with nic…

Also Jack Tramiel with his Jack Attacks.

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#79

Post by [deleted] »

akomtu wrote: post #77
HWR_14 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twitter's board would have been sued to hell and back if they hadn't made him live up to his contract. They would have been left personally penniless. Meanwhile, Musk initiated every stage of the acquisition and dictated the terms.

Then it is that omnipotent Mr. Shareholder that could sue the board is the villain here: he knew what Musk was going to do, he knew that Musk wanted to back out, yet he chose to press the board.

[deleted]

Re: I worked for Elon Musk in the early days of SpaceX

#80

Post by more_corn »

kenjackson wrote: post #64
ROTMetro wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Read Sun Tzu, live like a great general, pick your battles wisely, and make the cost worth the gain. You will make more of a difference and live a life of more power than 'trying to not live a cheap way'.

It probably makes sense not to work for someone who can destroy your life and is inclined to do so on a whim. The calculus in dealing with those people is apparently different than just about anyone else you'll encounter in life.

God help us if he colonizes mars and has total control of air water and heat. He won’t stop at baselessly accusing you of terrible crimes. (Which by the way he has yet to apologize for, meaning he’s not sorry and he’ll make no effort to stop)

At a certain point we need to agree that his bad behavior is not worth the vision.

I would never willing put myself at his mercy. Too bad he’s now in charge of defining free speech in this democracy.

Post reply on HN