Life and Business Lessons by Elon Musk

“Whatever skeptics have said can’t be done. Elon has gone out and made it real. Remember in the 1990’s when we would call strangers and give them our credit-card numbers ? Elon dreamed up little thing call as Paypal. His Telsa Motors and SolarCity companies are making a clean, renewable energy future a reality… his SpaceX is opening space for exploration… it’s a paradox that Elon is working to improve our planet at the same time he’s building spacecraft to help us leave it”                   

                                                                                           ------ Richard Branson.

Maye Musk his mother says about her son….

“He goes into his brain, then you just see he is in another world. He still does that. Now I just leave him be because I know he is designing a new rocket or something.” 

Hello Everyone, today we are going to learn lessons from Elon Musk. 

Success is not about an individual. It is also about the team. 

As far as Musk was concerned, education was simply “downloading data and algorithms into your brain.” And hence he found conventional classroom learning exceptionally slow and frustrating. Almost everything he learnt was from his own reading, not from the classroom. 

A conventional education isn’t for everyone.

You are never too young to start out as an entrepreneur.

The relationships- personal and professional- that you establish in college 

might well be some of the most important you ever have. 

A question struck him when he was a student…

What will most affect the future of humanity ??? 

Take an advantage of the capital-human and financial- that is available to you.

We are all learning throughout our careers.

Sometimes even the sky isn’t the limit.

Money alone doesn’t buy you credibility. You need to do your research, plan and bring in the right level of expertise.

Applying models and strategies from different industries can make you huge savings in your own industry.

If you want to make the very best products, you have to hire the very best person in the field.  

“Failure is an option here. If things are failing, you are not innovating enough.” 

Don’t overlook the details.

You will put your best efforts into pursuing an idea if it excites you.

The best idea isn’t necessarily new ideas. Be prepared to take products or services that already exist and rework and improve them for the modern world.  

You won’t always have to be the inventor!

“When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars, people said, “Nah, What’s wrong with a horse?” That was a huge bet he made, and it worked.” 

If you want to make really big bucks, there will always be elements of risk involved.

People will always try to rain on your parade. Keep your head down, keep working and ignore idle gossips.

Investment and growth are all about confidence.

Right from the start you should know what your exit strategy for company will be and the necessary conditions for that exit.

Be aware of all essential components in the product you sell.

Think outside the box for ways you can enter new markets.

Apply your expertise to real world problems if you really want to have a positive impact on the world in which you live. 

“You want to be extra rigorous about making the best possible thing you can. Find everything that’s wrong with it and fix it. Seek negative feedback, particularly from friends.” 

You don’t have to be possessive about your ideas.

In multidisciplinary world, it is not enough to be an expert in just one area.

“I wouldn’t say I have a lack of fear. In fact, I’d like my fear emotions to be less because it’s very distracting and fries my nervous system."

If there is something out there that worries you or that you fear, be honest about it.

The characteristics that make you successful in business are not necessary characteristics which will serve you well in other aspects of your life.

No amount of money makes you immune to personal tragedy.

A successful marriage depends upon mutual respect and balance.

Support only the things which really interest you.

As an entrepreneur, you have a responsibility to inspire the next generation of innovators. 

“I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.”

“I came to the conclusion that we should aspire to increase the scope and scale of human consciousness in order to better understand what questions to ask. Really, the only thing that makes sense is to strive for greater collective enlightenment.” 

"We may be restrained by physical and financial barriers, but that does not mean that we can’t open our minds and look at the challenges we face in new and imaginative ways. When our thoughts are unencumbered, we will come up with the best solutions."

“Physics is a good framework for thinking…. Boil things down to their fundamental truths and reason up from there.”  

Conclusion

Musk’s life and work so far also teaches us that you don’t have to be specialist in one field: a true renaissance man like Leonardo Da Vinci, Musk is able to think creatively, and to excel, in multiple disciplines.

He has learned to surround himself with the greatest thinkers and doers in each industry he wants to work in.

The final lesson in this book which we should learn from Musk is what determines success is not your qualifications, where you were born, or how much money you have. Instead it is how you choose to see the world, your openness to ideas, and how you respond to opportunities and challenges when you are faced with them.

No one in this world, not even Elon Musk goes through life with a completely easy ride. For all of us there are forks in the road, and vital decisions to be made. We must approach these times with confidence and conviction if we are to achieve our goals.

We conclude this article believing that you will see the world with wide eyes to find your purpose of life and serve humanity. Share this life changing thoughts of Elon Musk with our beautiful world. Let’s help each other grow by sharing the wisdom.

With Love,

Himanshu (Your Rabbi) & Pauline.