13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

·      Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Ashlee Vance

o   What surprised me most:

§  Before reading Vance’s biography I knew a little bit about Musk. I knew he was a very determined man who really wanted to make a change for more than a monetary gain. However, one of the things I wasn’t very informed about was the extent to his determination. He never stopped working and consistently put in a massive amount of hours each week in order to get to where he is now.

o   What I admired the most:

§  I often have trouble motivating myself to get things done on time or to get ahead in my schedule. Many things that are difficult or time consuming get pushed away through procrastination and Elon Musk embodies the opposite of that mindset.

o   What I least admired:

§  While I definitely understand why it’s necessary for Mr. Musk to be difficult and very demanding of those he works with and over, I think that there should be some sort of way to do this as nice as possible. I don’t like how incredibly smart and successful powerhouses like Zuckerberg, Jobs, and musk are often highly condescending.

o   Adversity and Failure endured:

§  While it’s not entirely confirmed by any means, it is believed that Musk is a product of an abusive father. This might be his way of trying to make up for a broken childhood. He also had many situations in which it wasn’t quite clear whether or not his start-ups would make it.

o   What competencies does Elon Musk have?:

§  Musk has the same incredible knowledge and determination as other leading technology advancers however is goals are aligned very differently. Many people are worried about how to make the most money and with creating products and services that will allow a lucrative return. Musk, on the other hand, is attempting to further the human race. His ultimate goal is to colonize Mars and he wants to do so in order to further or save humanity rather than to buy more cars or other materials.

o   What was confusing to me?:

§  The most confusing thing to me was how long and hard Musk worked each and every day. I find myself getting groggy after continuous hours of work and figure that the most efficient way for me to continue getting more work done would be a quick power nap or caffeine. If not, I end up putting in a large amount of time that was either sloppy or completely wasted where as it seems like Musk’s time is constantly well spent.

o   What would I ask Musk?:

§  If I had the ability to ask Elon Musk a question, I think I’d ask him if he would take me to space when he gets it all figured out. Asking him questions about how to be like him or how to improve myself are futile as there’s plenty of videos on the internet of him explaining similar questions.

o   Hard Work?:

§  Elon Musk’s philosophy on hard work is simply to work harder than everyone else. If everyone else works 40 hour weeks and you work 80-100 hours each week you can accomplish in 6 months what they accomplish in a whole year.