Two Readers Clarify Elon Musk’s Modified Position At Tesla Higher Than I Did

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Yesterday, after I wrote an article explaining what I believe has occurred with Elon Musk and Tesla lately that has led to the conundrum Tesla is in proper now, or a minimum of its newest “wager the corporate” transfer, I knew the reader feedback can be nice. As some readers have mentioned, the discussions beneath articles are sometimes higher than the articles themselves. There have been a whole lot of nice feedback beneath that article, however one stood out to me as a superb one which deserved its personal function story, after which one other one was an ideal followup alongside related traces. So, I’m together with each of those under. Lastly, I’m going to incorporate a few segments from a brand new guide about Musk, which relate to each of those feedback.

For these of you who’re uninterested in this matter, apologies, however no must learn additional in case you are. I do suppose it’s necessary stuff to contemplate and focus on, although, as a result of Tesla continues to be probably the most necessary and influential corporations within the EV world, and thus the world at giant. What occurs with Tesla will not be as necessary at the moment because it was a decade in the past, nevertheless it’s nonetheless extraordinarily necessary.

Right here’s the primary remark, from “Jec,” that I believed deserved additional consideration:

“I’ve labored in Govt Search for a few years and occurred to serve a bigger variety of entrepreneurs. They’re an fascinating lot. They love discussing and dealing with new concepts and visions. The have a robust drive to Power their thought to success. They’re at all times ‘sooner or later’. Hate being pressured to take care of the previous or with minor issues. All the time on to new revolutionary concepts, which provides them vitality. Bear in mind Musk and boneheaded questions? As an alternative of listening to Musk and his visions for the longer term, the analysts wished details about the previous quarter. Musk hated that.

“EVs have now developed to a state the place the know-how has matured, and there’s no room for technological revolutions of the type that provides vitality to Musk. Now it’s a matter of optimizing and perfectionizing, which bores Musk. It’s ‘a sport of pennies’.

“That’s why he cuts down on automobile improvement, and strikes to FSD, which could possibly be a revolution and subsequently pursuits Musk far more. Time has subsequently come to depart the every day management to an individual who enjoys optimizing enterprise and let Elon transfer on.

“Else, his restlessness mixed along with his dominant habits will more and more turn into a legal responsibility for Tesla.

“In my expertise, all entrepreneurs ultimately hit a glass ceiling and may’t develop the corporate additional, as their destructive sides now equalizes their constructive sides.”

I believe that’s principally backing up what I wrote in a part of my article, however expounding on it and explaining it even higher. Nonetheless, I do suppose that whereas many individuals agree with Jec that Musk wants to maneuver on, there are additionally many individuals (particularly TSLA shareholders) who suppose he must maintain working Tesla with a purpose to maintain it revolutionary. They don’t need Tesla to be “simply one other automobile firm” and strongly consider in Musk’s robotaxi, AI, and robotics plans.

Although, personally, I believe extra folks would in all probability be smart to protect towards the notion that “as a result of somebody succeeded earlier than, they are going to succeed once more on this different approach.” Perhaps Musk will likely be proper on Tesla AI, robotaxis, and robotics. Or perhaps, as he’s been unsuitable (or a minimum of delayed) for the previous a number of years, he’ll proceed to overlook targets on this stuff and burn cash indefinitely with out the anticipated return. I believe everybody, professional and con on this, has to acknowledge that we don’t actually know the place this stuff will go — together with Musk.

However, sure, what does appear clear is that Musk isn’t in it for incremental enhancements and the traditional working of a big company.

Right here’s the second reader remark I wished to spotlight right here, from Mike Sarcione:

“Profitable entrepreneurs with the largest egos fall actually laborious when they’re both informed they’re unsuitable, and even worse, ignored by others in authority. One authority to disregard him, present POTUS. His Administration ignored the “king” of worldwide EVs, on the time, in crafting the IRA and EV points. One other authority to disregard him was the earlier POTUS at the moment working once more. Nonetheless, Elon Musk noticed a gap as that one would change his view of oldsters who would bend the knee and ship plenty of $. There was a possible for market uptick if he may get the bully’s followers to melt and settle for EVs. People with huge egos, plenty of $, and media management have loads of vent choices for espousing their ‘mind-set.’ Household isn’t first, his companies aren’t first, his ego is first, and anybody who tries to harm it, or assist information it with one of the best of intentions, fuels its misguided responses which finally requires corrections and self rationalization. In enterprise, it’s what have you ever finished for the shareholders currently that may finally resolve his future. He wants an mental miracle. We’ll see whether or not the one he’s been banking on pans out. Finally all emperors and empires get defeated, particularly once they have divided pursuits. Between Chinese language competitors, private household pressures, political fallout and mental failures, their are loads of divided pursuits.”

This remark was not in response to that different one above, nevertheless it carries on from it. As that different commenter referred to it, entrepreneurs tend towards “dominant habits.” Once they can’t be the dominant determine within the room, or within the story, they will have infected reactions. I believe anybody who’s following on may see it is a huge a part of what occurred with Musk and Biden. Biden didn’t acknowledge Elon in the way in which Elon felt he ought to be acknowledged and consulted. Much like how Donald Trump ran for president after Obama made some jokes about him on the 2011 White Home Correspondents’ Dinner, I believe an enormous a part of what received Musk into politics was the way in which Biden was ignoring him — not simply at that notorious EV occasion, however Biden additionally reportedly ignored requests for conferences with Musk, or one thing like that. Nonetheless, if that is true, one regarding factor right here is how Musk can fall into traps, facet tangents, and conspiracy theories simply from not getting the reward and a spotlight he thinks he deserves. Humorous sufficient, as I’m scripting this, I simply remembered one thing I learn earlier at the moment:

That’s fairly wild if true, and the unhappy factor is, it’s in all probability true. (Facet notice: I suppose it is a good thing about being King of the World City Corridor.)

In that second reader remark, I liked that line “Finally all emperors and empires get defeated, particularly once they have divided pursuits.” And as he famous “Between Chinese language competitors, private household pressures, political fallout and mental failures, their are loads of divided pursuits.” Certainly. Although, whereas many Tesla followers would now prefer to see Musk step down from his position as CEO, I believe one other anecdote from that new guide, Character Restrict: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter, reveals us that he received’t. He has mentioned many instances that he’d be blissful to move on the position of CEO, however there’s nobody higher to do the job. That is how he sees it. A extra stark instance of how he appears himself as the mandatory chief of the whole lot he will get concerned in, as summarized by Rolling Stone, right here’s the story of Musk promising the step down from working Twitter if the folks thought he ought to, after which not doing so:

“Following a sequence of disastrous coverage adjustments, Musk determined to carry a casual efficiency evaluate for himself utilizing considered one of his favourite Twitter instruments: the polling function. ‘Ought to I step down as head of Twitter? I’ll abide by the outcomes of this ballot,’ he tweeted in December 2022 earlier than embarking on a flight from Qatar to London. When he landed, he discovered that ‘57.5 % of the greater than 17.5 million accounts that had voted had been calling for him to resign.’ Between this rejection and the plummeting worth of Tesla inventory, Musk grew to become withdrawn and unresponsive, with those that did handle to speak to him worrying that he was ‘within the throes of a manic occasion.’ Talking with one confidante, ‘Musk choked up and commenced to doubt his means to run the corporate’ in gentle of the ballot outcomes, saying, ‘I’m by no means going to get well from this.’ He would, in fact, go on to rent Linda Yaccarino as a substitute CEO within the new 12 months — although as anybody nonetheless lively on the positioning that quickly grew to become X will inform you, it continues to replicate his worst impulses and warped worldview.”

Musk doesn’t wish to surrender management of Tesla. Like with Twitter, he believes that he’s the chosen one who’s one of the best individual to run the corporate. Although, whereas this Twitter ballot informed Musk what he didn’t wish to hear and thought he wouldn’t hear, within the case of Tesla, shareholders only recently revived his large compensation bundle and mainly gave him a full stamp of approval to maintain working Tesla nevertheless he sees match. So, even when he’s tired of the day-to-day of Tesla and the incremental wants of a company like Tesla, I believe he’ll proceed to imagine he’s the one one who can do the CEO job and can stay simply the place he’s.