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Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

(www.ycombinator.com)
1106 points sama | 10 comments | 15 Sep 16 18:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.612s | source | bottom
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hbt ◴[15 Sep 16 20:02 UTC] No.12509352[source]▶
What amazes me about Elon is the level of self control, discipline, perseverance, resilience, willpower etc.

He's not the only one playing the game so effectively at that level but to me, he exemplifies rational behavior.

I wish more entrepreneurs like Page or Bezos were in the public eye as much as Musk. I believe those traits are common to achieve your goals.

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1. Havoc ◴[15 Sep 16 21:04 UTC] No.12509824[source]▶
Plus he is a pretty mediocre public speaker...yet puts himself out there & makes an impact
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2. kiddico ◴[15 Sep 16 21:24 UTC] No.12509924[source]▶
That's one of the reasons I love watching his public speaking events (like the tesla model reveals).

Yeah, there's a good bit of production involved, but it usually feels like when a buddy is showing you something really cool that he made.

3. vlunkr ◴[15 Sep 16 21:29 UTC] No.12509971[source]▶
He also appeared in an episode The Simpsons. His acting was awful, but he did put himself out there.
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4. falsestprophet ◴[15 Sep 16 23:08 UTC] No.12510612[source]▶
He is a captivating public speaker. He accessibly expresses new ideas of considerable importance and complexity. What else do you want from him?

SpaceX doesn't need Vince Offer.

replies(1): >>12510822 #
5. MPSimmons ◴[15 Sep 16 23:47 UTC] No.12510822[source]▶
I've often thought that if Elon had the stage presence of Robert Downey Junior as Tony Stark, we'd already be on Mars.
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6. taneq ◴[16 Sep 16 01:04 UTC] No.12511203[source]▶
Was he appearing as himself? If so his acting would by definition have been perfect. :P
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7. inopinatus ◴[16 Sep 16 01:12 UTC] No.12511237{3}[source]▶
Perhaps not. Mr Downey's performance is not achieved by raw personal magnetism alone, but requires a substantial crew to deliver the fully polished product. The cost of creating Tony Stark runs at roughly $100m per hour. I doubt even the astronomical budgets of astronautical agencies could absorb that.

As for Mr Musk's personal style, I found this interview quite captivating. All the more so for his lack of bluster and posturing.

8. sjdchid ◴[16 Sep 16 02:41 UTC] No.12511514{3}[source]▶
IMO bad amateur acting often involves people reciting lines in a weird stilted way instead of just talking normally. I don't know how to act like someone else, but I can act like myself at least.
9. jernfrost ◴[17 Sep 16 10:35 UTC] No.12519952[source]▶
I agree he isn't that good at delivery but he feels very authentic and that does it for me more than the total fakery I see at e.g. Apple now. I say this because I am a big Apple fan I liked Steve Jobs presentations, but it hurts my ears when everybody at Apple try to sound like Steve Jobs throwing out "Best ever", "Only Apple can do this", "This is the best X we ever built" etc.

Elon Musk never says rubbish like this which feels totally markety. When Elon Musk rants about something it feels more like a geek who is really excited about something, rather than slick market speak.

replies(1): >>12520322 #
10. babyrainbow ◴[17 Sep 16 13:06 UTC] No.12520322[source]▶
>Elon Musk never says rubbish like this which feels totally markety. When Elon Musk rants about something it feels more like a geek who is really excited about something..

Maybe, that is how you market to geeks..Know your target audience and all that...Looks like it is working!