WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.557 Stop scrolling endlessly. [music] You 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:04.877 have big dreams and goals for this year. 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:07.517 The Mindset app gives you the advice and 00:00:07.600 --> 00:00:10.077 the push you need. Don't wait [music] 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:15.357 for someday. Download Mindset today. 00:00:15.440 --> 00:00:19.437 I work 7 days a week, but but I I'm not expecting others to do that. Um, 00:00:19.520 --> 00:00:21.197 >> how much sleep do you get, by the way? 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.237 >> Uh, about 6 hours. >> You do 6 hours typically? 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:26.077 >> Yes. >> Oh, that's not bad. I thought it would 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.157 be less. I've tried less, but uh I uh my productivity my even though I'm awake 00:00:30.240 --> 00:00:32.397 more hours, I get less done. >> Okay. 00:00:32.480 --> 00:00:38.040 >> And and the brain pain level is bad if if I get less than 6 hours. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.677 >> When you had that third failure in a 00:00:41.760 --> 00:00:45.917 row, >> did you think I need to pack this in? 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.797 >> Never. >> Why not? 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:51.757 >> I don't ever give up. I mean, I'd have 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:56.157 to be dead or completely incapacitated. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:59.277 you need to work if depending upon how well you want to do and particularly if 00:00:59.360 --> 00:01:03.117 you're starting a company, you need to work super hard. So what what does super 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.157 hard mean? Um well, when my brother and 00:01:06.240 --> 00:01:10.317 I were starting our first company, uh in instead of getting an apartment, we just 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.717 rented a a small office and we slept on 00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:15.677 the couch. Um and we we showered at the 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.197 the YMCA and uh we're we're so hot up we 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:21.677 had just one computer. So the this the 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:24.237 the the website was up during the day uh 00:01:24.320 --> 00:01:29.757 and I was coding at night 7 days a week all the time sort of briefly had a 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:31.117 girlfriend in that period and in order 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:33.277 to be with me she have to sleep in the 00:01:33.360 --> 00:01:38.077 office. So work hard like it I mean 00:01:38.160 --> 00:01:41.997 every waking hour that's that's the the thing I would I would say if if you 00:01:42.080 --> 00:01:46.397 particularly if you're starting a company you have to apply a lot of hours to 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:51.927 actual working actually working. So the the way I generally do it is I'll be uh 00:01:52.010 --> 00:01:54.717 [music] working at SpaceX 00:01:54.800 --> 00:01:57.037 on Monday and then Monday night flight 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:01.997 to Bay Area. Uh spent Tuesday and 00:02:02.080 --> 00:02:06.397 Wednesday at the barrier then at at Tesla and then fly back on Wednesday 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:10.557 night. Spent Thursday and Friday at SpaceX. 00:02:10.640 --> 00:02:14.317 um in [music] in in the last several months. Then I I would fly back here on 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.797 a Saturday um and either spend Saturday 00:02:16.880 --> 00:02:21.117 and Sunday at Tesla uh or spend Saturday 00:02:21.200 --> 00:02:24.397 at Tesla and Sunday at SpaceX. 00:02:24.480 --> 00:02:25.997 I was living in the in the in the 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:29.277 factory in Fremont um and and the one in 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:31.917 in Nevada for 3 years straight. It was 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:35.037 my primary residence. I I actually slept 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.277 well I slept in a couch at one point on 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:41.117 a in a tent on the roof. Um, and then 00:02:41.200 --> 00:02:42.797 but but for a while there I was just 00:02:42.880 --> 00:02:44.797 sleeping uh under my desk which is out 00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:49.917 in the open in the factory. Um, and and for an important reason [music] and it 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:53.197 was damn uncomfortable sleeping on that floor and always when I woke up I'd 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.757 smell like metal dust. So during shift 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.197 change, the entire team could see me. 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:03.437 And this is important because if they think that the the sort of their leader 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:07.837 is is off somewhere having a good time, you know, drinking my ties on a tropical 00:03:07.920 --> 00:03:11.437 island, which I could definitely have have been doing and would much have 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:15.037 preferred to do, but but the thing is that since the team could see me 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:19.597 sleeping on the floor during shift change, they knew I was there and that 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:23.437 made a huge difference and then they gave it their role. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:25.357 work like hell. I mean, you just have to 00:03:25.440 --> 00:03:29.517 put in, you know, 80 hour 80 to 100 hour 00:03:29.600 --> 00:03:33.757 weeks every week. That all those things improve the odds of success. If if other 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.437 people are putting in 40hour work weeks 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.357 and you're putting in 100hour work 00:03:37.440 --> 00:03:41.117 weeks, then even if uh you're doing the 00:03:41.200 --> 00:03:43.837 same thing, you know that in in one year 00:03:43.920 --> 00:03:45.677 you will achieve what they achieve, you 00:03:45.760 --> 00:03:48.797 you will achieve in 4 months what it 00:03:48.880 --> 00:03:52.397 takes them a year to achieve. 00:03:52.480 --> 00:03:53.837 If if you're creating a company or if 00:03:53.920 --> 00:03:56.237 you're joining a company, uh the most 00:03:56.320 --> 00:04:00.077 important thing is to uh is to attract 00:04:00.160 --> 00:04:03.757 great people. So either be with join a group that's amazing that you really 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:07.197 respect or if you if you're building a company, you've got to gather great 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.397 people. I mean all a company is is a group of people that have gathered 00:04:10.480 --> 00:04:12.557 together to create a product or service. 00:04:12.640 --> 00:04:16.637 And so depending upon how talented and hardworking that group is and the degree 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:19.357 to which they are focused uh cohesively 00:04:19.440 --> 00:04:24.157 in in a good direction that will determine the success of the company. So 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:28.397 do everything you can to to gather great people uh if if you're creating a 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:32.477 company. I think a lot of people think I'm kind of a business person or 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:33.757 something, which is fine. Like business 00:04:33.840 --> 00:04:37.357 is fine, but um like I uh but really 00:04:37.440 --> 00:04:40.477 it's, you know, it was like it's SpaceX. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:42.317 Uh Gwen Shotwell is chief operating 00:04:42.400 --> 00:04:45.597 officer. She kind of manages um uh 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:49.197 legal, finance, um [music] sales, um and 00:04:49.280 --> 00:04:50.957 kind of general business activity. And 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:53.437 then my time is almost entirely with the 00:04:53.520 --> 00:04:56.637 uh engineering team working on improving 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:59.677 the Falcon 9 and the Dragon spacecraft 00:04:59.760 --> 00:05:00.957 and developing the MOS colonial 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:05.277 architecture. Um and then at Tesla it's 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:08.717 working on the Model 3 and the yeah 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.677 something in the design studio typically 00:05:11.760 --> 00:05:15.757 um half a day a week um dealing with 00:05:15.840 --> 00:05:18.717 aesthetics and and uh look and feel 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:23.277 things and and then most the rest of week is just going through engineering 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:25.277 of of of the car itself as well as 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:28.957 engineering of the the factory. 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:31.757 >> What's your mission life? why you do 00:05:31.840 --> 00:05:34.157 whatever you do. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.637 >> When when I was a kid, I was wondering 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:38.957 kind of what's the meaning of life? Like 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:41.757 why are we here? What's it all about? 00:05:41.840 --> 00:05:46.477 And um I came to the conclusion that uh 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.197 what what really matters is trying to 00:05:49.280 --> 00:05:51.597 understand the right questions to ask. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:53.917 And [music] the more that we can 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.197 increase the scope and scale of uh human 00:05:57.280 --> 00:06:01.597 consciousness, the better we are able to ask these questions. So, so I think that 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:04.877 there's certain things that are necessary to ensure that the future is 00:06:04.960 --> 00:06:07.917 good and [music] some of those things 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:12.797 are in the long term having long-term sustainable transport and sustainable 00:06:12.880 --> 00:06:14.797 energy generation. 00:06:14.880 --> 00:06:19.597 um and uh to be a space fairing 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:24.317 civilization and for humanity to be out there among the stars and be a 00:06:24.400 --> 00:06:28.957 multilanetary uh species. Um I [music] mean I think 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:31.117 the being a multilanet species and being 00:06:31.200 --> 00:06:32.477 out there among the stars is important 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:36.157 for uh the long-term survival of 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.917 humanity and uh that's one reason kind 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:41.517 of like life insurance for life 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:44.477 collectively life as we know it. Um, but 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:47.437 then the part that I find personally 00:06:47.520 --> 00:06:50.477 most motivating is that it creates a 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.197 sense of adventure and it makes people 00:06:53.280 --> 00:06:57.517 excited about the future. You know, my goal is like try to do 00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:59.757 useful things, try to maximize the 00:06:59.840 --> 00:07:02.317 probability the future is good. 00:07:02.400 --> 00:07:05.437 um make the future exciting, something 00:07:05.520 --> 00:07:08.557 you look forward to, you know. 00:07:08.640 --> 00:07:12.957 You know, with uh you know, with Tesla, we're like trying to make things that 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:15.197 people love. How many how many things 00:07:15.280 --> 00:07:18.317 can you buy that you really love that 00:07:18.400 --> 00:07:21.997 really give you joy? So rare. So rare. I 00:07:22.080 --> 00:07:26.397 wish there were more things. That's what we try to do. Just make things that 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:31.677 somebody loves. Now is the time to take risk. U you don't have Yeah. Yeah, you 00:07:31.760 --> 00:07:33.277 don't you don't have you don't have 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:35.997 kids, but as you as you get older, your 00:07:36.080 --> 00:07:39.437 obligations increase. So you the and 00:07:39.520 --> 00:07:43.197 once you have a family, you start taking risk, not just for yourself, but for 00:07:43.280 --> 00:07:44.877 your family as well. It gets much harder 00:07:44.960 --> 00:07:48.157 to uh do things that might not work out. 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:53.117 Um so now is the time to do that uh before you before you have those 00:07:53.200 --> 00:07:54.797 obligations. So I would I would 00:07:54.880 --> 00:07:56.557 encourage you to take risks now. Do 00:07:56.640 --> 00:08:01.357 something bold. Um you won't regret it. 00:08:01.440 --> 00:08:04.397 If you want to do things like me, you have to like learn how to be good at 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.997 technology. That's like so study engineering, physics, that kind of 00:08:08.080 --> 00:08:09.517 thing. Um, understand how the world 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:14.637 works. Uh, and uh, and try to be as 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:16.797 accurate as possible about that. Uh, and 00:08:16.880 --> 00:08:21.657 then like I said, also try to be creative, which means just like try 00:08:21.740 --> 00:08:24.957 [music] to think of of things that haven't been done before, but that would 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:28.397 probably make the [music] world better. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.277 And it require I mean that's it requires a lot of mental effort to do that. It's 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:35.917 not you know I don't just like come with stuff like willy-nilly. Um I mean 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:40.237 occasionally but it's rare but you really have to like think until 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.277 your brain hurts. That's basically [music] if you haven't thought until 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:46.397 your brain hurts then you haven't tried hard enough. I'd encourage people to 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:50.237 read a lot of books. Just read like 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:54.637 basically try to ingest as much information as you can and try to also 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:56.477 just develop a good general knowledge. 00:08:56.560 --> 00:09:01.197 Um, so so you at least have like a rough 00:09:01.280 --> 00:09:05.837 lay of the land, of the the knowledge landscape. Um, like try to learn a 00:09:05.920 --> 00:09:08.717 little about about a lot of things cuz you might not know what you're really 00:09:08.800 --> 00:09:10.717 interested. How would you know what you're really interested in if you at 00:09:10.800 --> 00:09:13.757 least aren't like doing a peripheral 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:18.797 explor exploration broadly of the knowledge landscape and and you talk to 00:09:18.880 --> 00:09:22.797 people from different walks of life and different uh industries and professions 00:09:22.880 --> 00:09:25.757 and skills and occupations like just try 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:28.957 you know learn as much as possible. I 00:09:29.040 --> 00:09:32.797 think um I think certainly uh being 00:09:32.880 --> 00:09:36.877 focused on something that [music] you're confident will have high value to 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:39.437 someone else um and just being really 00:09:39.520 --> 00:09:41.197 rigorous in [music] making that 00:09:41.280 --> 00:09:44.157 assessment. Um because people are tend 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.717 tend to a natural human tendency is 00:09:46.800 --> 00:09:51.757 wishful thinking. Um so a challenge for entrepreneurs is to say well what's the 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:54.797 difference between [music] really believing in your ideals and sticking 00:09:54.880 --> 00:09:59.597 sticking to them >> versus pursuing some unrealistic dream 00:09:59.680 --> 00:10:03.517 that doesn't actually have merit [music] and it's it's that is a that is a really 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:06.477 difficult thing to to tell you can you tell the difference between those two 00:10:06.560 --> 00:10:07.757 things you [music] know so you need to 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:10.237 be sort of very rigorous um in in your 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:15.437 self self analysis there are a lot of negative things in the world there's a 00:10:15.520 --> 00:10:16.237 lot of terrible things that are 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.437 happening all over the world all the 00:10:19.520 --> 00:10:24.957 time. Uh there are lots of problems that need to get solved. There's lots of 00:10:25.040 --> 00:10:26.317 things that are yeah that are miserable 00:10:26.400 --> 00:10:29.597 and kind of get you down. But that life 00:10:29.680 --> 00:10:33.677 cannot just be about solving one miserable problem after another. Can't 00:10:33.760 --> 00:10:35.037 that can't be the only thing. They need 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:38.477 to be need to be things that inspire you 00:10:38.560 --> 00:10:40.717 that make you glad to be to wake up in 00:10:40.800 --> 00:10:43.837 the morning and be part of humanity. It 00:10:43.920 --> 00:10:46.877 is time to go forth. Become a a 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:49.117 star-fing civilization. 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:52.077 Be out there among the stars. Expand the 00:10:52.160 --> 00:10:54.797 scope and scale of human consciousness. 00:10:54.880 --> 00:10:58.397 I I find that incredibly exciting. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.597 That makes me glad to be alive. 00:11:01.680 --> 00:11:04.637 I I hope you feel the same way. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:08.957 Focus on on signal over noise. Um a lot 00:11:09.040 --> 00:11:10.797 of companies get get confused. they they 00:11:10.880 --> 00:11:12.797 spend money on things that don't 00:11:12.880 --> 00:11:16.157 actually make the product better. So, 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:19.197 for example, at at Tesla, we've we've 00:11:19.280 --> 00:11:21.517 never spent any money on advertising. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.877 Um, we we put all of the money into R&D 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:27.437 and and manufacturing and design, try to 00:11:27.520 --> 00:11:30.297 make the car as good as possible. Um, 00:11:30.380 --> 00:11:33.357 [music] and uh I think that's that's 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:36.157 that's the way to go. So 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:38.877 for for any given company just can keep 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:43.277 thinking about are these efforts that people are are expending are they 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.597 resulting in a better product or service 00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:49.117 and if they're not stop those efforts 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:50.877 >> so many young people actually from 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:53.917 across the globe if you have an advice 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:58.957 to them young people globally who want to be like Elon Musk what's your advice 00:11:59.040 --> 00:12:01.757 to them >> advice I mean if you want to make 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:04.317 progress in things [music] I think that 00:12:04.400 --> 00:12:08.237 the best analytical framework for 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.357 understanding the future [music] is 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:12.797 physics. Um, I'd recommend studying the 00:12:12.880 --> 00:12:15.597 the the thinking process around physics. 00:12:15.680 --> 00:12:17.917 Like not not just not not the equations. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:21.997 I mean the equations certainly they're helpful but the the the way of thinking 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:27.277 in physics is the it's the best framework for understanding things that are 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.957 counterintuitive. 00:12:29.040 --> 00:12:32.477 Um and um and you know always taking the 00:12:32.560 --> 00:12:35.837 position that you're some degree wrong 00:12:35.920 --> 00:12:40.397 and your goal is to be less wrong over time. I one of the biggest mistakes 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:44.797 people generally make and I'm guilty of it too is wishful thinking. You know 00:12:44.880 --> 00:12:47.117 like you want something to be true even 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.077 if it isn't true. Um [music] and so you 00:12:50.160 --> 00:12:54.957 ignore the things that uh you you ignore the real truth because of what you want 00:12:55.040 --> 00:12:59.517 to be true. Um, this is a very difficult trap to 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:01.677 avoid. Um, and like I said, certainly 00:13:01.760 --> 00:13:05.037 one that I find myself in having 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:08.077 problems with. But if you just take that 00:13:08.160 --> 00:13:10.077 approach of you're always to some degree 00:13:10.160 --> 00:13:13.357 wrong and your goal is to be less wrong. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:16.797 Try to be useful. Um, you do things that 00:13:16.880 --> 00:13:19.197 are useful to your fellow human beings, 00:13:19.280 --> 00:13:21.277 to the world. It's very hard to be 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.277 useful. Um, very hard. you know, are are 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:28.317 you contributing more than you consume? 00:13:28.400 --> 00:13:31.837 You know, like uh try to have a positive 00:13:31.920 --> 00:13:35.917 net contribution to [music] society. I think that's the thing to aim for, you 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:40.397 know, not not to try to be sort of a leader for just for the sake of being a 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:44.397 leader or whatever. Um the people you want as leaders are the people who don't 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:46.397 want to be leaders. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:49.597 So if you can live a useful life, that 00:13:49.680 --> 00:13:52.317 is a good life, a life worth having 00:13:52.400 --> 00:13:55.757 lived. I think um if somebody is doing 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:59.677 something that is useful to the rest of society, I think that's a good thing. 00:13:59.760 --> 00:14:04.077 Like it doesn't have to change the world. like you know um if you're doing 00:14:04.160 --> 00:14:08.317 something that has high value to to people um and and frankly even if it's 00:14:08.400 --> 00:14:10.877 something if it's like um just a little 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:15.997 game um or you know the some improvement 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.757 in photo sharing or something if it if it has if it has a small amount of of 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:24.637 good for a large number of people um that's I mean I think that's that's fine 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:28.397 like stuff doesn't need to be changed [music] the world just to be good. What 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:32.477 is the one thing that has surprised you about your life? 00:14:32.560 --> 00:14:35.597 >> Oh, one thing. Wow. Well, I certainly I'm surprised by the whole thing, 00:14:35.680 --> 00:14:40.557 honestly. [laughter] I certainly didn't expect to be to be uh 00:14:40.640 --> 00:14:42.317 for any of these things to happen. 00:14:42.400 --> 00:14:44.077 Honestly, I knew I wanted to be involved 00:14:44.160 --> 00:14:48.157 in technology. Um and uh in fact, the 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:51.917 only reason I started a company back in '95, an internet company, was because I 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.397 couldn't get a there were only a few internet companies and I couldn't get a 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:59.037 job at any of them. I tried to get a job at at Netscape. Um, and I sent my resume 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:01.757 and I and tried hanging out in the lobby, but I was too shy to talk to 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:04.477 anyone. And and then I was like, "Okay, 00:15:04.560 --> 00:15:08.797 well, I guess I'll have to start a company cuz I can't get a job anywhere." 00:15:08.880 --> 00:15:12.557 I mean, we got to be excited about the future. We got to do things that make us 00:15:12.640 --> 00:15:17.197 want to live. You know, it cannot always be about problems every day. I mean, do 00:15:17.280 --> 00:15:20.237 you want to wake up every morning and everything's just a problem? Well, what 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:23.517 what inspires you and what makes you excited about the future? There's got to 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.640 be some things like that.