Lessons learned from Elon Musk | Freelance Web Developer

Since the first time I discovered Elon Musk on YouTube from a motivational video about him, I loved watching interviews with him. His actions inspire and motivate me and make me feel excited about the future. Here are the things that I learned during the 10 years since I discovered him

1. Know about the big discoveries in physics. Knowing the laws of reality gives you an advantage in thinking because you can make calculations on real things. Elon emphasizes first-principle thinking. Meaning thinking from the most fundamental truths that we know. From the bottom(core) up to the top(final product). In most of his interviews, especially those from a few years back, he mentions physics often and his first-principle approach. Contemporary physicists that I like and from whose work I've learned are Michio Kaku, Brian Greene, and Lawrence Krauss. I bought audiobooks published by them and I listen mostly during light programming work or when I travel with my car.

2. Study business. He was asked in a video from a few years ago by a mother about what her son should learn. He said physics and business. If you want to do well financially you need to know the basics of business and the economy. Nowadays there are lots of resources on YouTube and in books from successful people that can help you start and manage a business. People from whom I constantly consume business content are Warren Buffet, Charlie Munger, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Ovens.

3. Times might get tough but you have to keep going if you think it is worth it. One of the toughest business periods of Elon was back when he had to choose where to put his last money so he could save either Tesla or SpaceX. He ended up putting in both companies and managed to save them. Another hard period, a more recent one, was with Tesla when there were challenges with mass production. Elon spent 3 years in the USA factory and had days where he slept on the factory's floor.

4. Be very good technically if your position requires it. If you watched any of Elon's interviews you can tell that he knows in detail the technical parts behind all of his companies.

When he talks about SpaceX he knows well how the rockets function, about the materials that they use and what are the challenges of new launches.

Then when he talks about Tesla, he is aware of the AI that is being worked on for solving self-driving and knows key details about the computer hardware. He also knows the ins and outs of the production process of the vehicles and how the factories have been built.

5. Be excited about the future! Elon says that you want to be excited about the future and we should not only focus on fixing one problem after another. He also says that we are living in the most exciting of times and that he would not trade this period with any another one.

6. Have big goals! If Elon doesn't have big goals then who has? Right?

Back when he started Tesla he envisioned a future in which reusable energy would be the primary source and not hurt the environment. They were laughing when he said that the future of vehicles is electric. Now what car companies don't include electric versions? There aren't many!

With SpaceX, a person who didn't have anything to do with rockets has learned how to create the first private company to produce reusable rockets. In 2024 SpaceX launched so many times the Falcon 9 rocket that it is hard to keep track of them. It has become like a walk in the park. But do you know that many important people in the aerospace industry criticized Elon and said that such a thing is not possible? It is not possible until somebody does it, there is a saying.