I have nuanced/mixed feelings about X, Tesla, and SpaceX. They are all products that have moved past the “because it’s different” disruption stages. But in each case, I’m intrigued and supportive by certain aspects still, especially SpaceX.
But the “Brand of Elon Musk” I want nothing to do with. Just absolutely nothing. The man is unhinged and attached to way too much unchecked power.
A reasonable person thinks, “it sure would be neat if there was a way for humans to live on Mars,” then finishes his shower and goes to work selling insurance.
To get some of these advancements in the world, it takes giving a little allowance to the unhinged from time to time.
No, we can get and do get advances without people like Musk. They seem slower, because they lie less and defraud less. Which is net positive.
Giving ambitious public goals can help to create some urgency around finding solutions. It's not all that dissimilar to Kennedy claiming we'd make it to the moon within the decade back in 1961. I'm sure he has his skeptics as well. Without a target, and the expectation being decades, it can easily stretch on forever as teams bike shed around various things.
Will SpaceX hit their target... who knows. But it's not like it's a vaporware company that hasn't made any progress. Dismissing everything they've done so far based on an assumption that they will miss an ambitious target set 14 years ago just seems like being a hater.
It's disingenuous to look at this estimate in isolation while Elon has a decade of (with the charitable take) completely failed predictions.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_predictions_for_auto...
A X account was also created to share the letter, but it was suspended by the platform, which is owned by Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist.”Maybe if the stock crashes the board/investors would say au revoir.
nickevante•9mo ago
Tesla cars are the MVPs being compared to existing automotives just like the Model T was the MVP being compared to horse carriages.
That said Elon could do an even better job of inspiring his employees on the vision if the premise of this post is indeed true.
nneonneo•9mo ago
If this was simply a demand problem because Teslas were being compared against “incumbents” (ICE cars?), what explains their strong performance in the past, and the sudden drop in performance now? The standard excuse is the new Model Y changeover, but Electrek offers lots of evidence that demand for the new car is weak too.
nickevante•9mo ago
Demand for new "car" is a noise. Austin FSD launch is the key differentiator and I foresee lot of sleeping on the floor moment from Elon to see it through. But if they do, the 100 year old concept of a "car" will be completely redefined.
brokensegue•9mo ago
peterlada•9mo ago