Company | Value | FOUNDER FOUNDING YR | Best Product |
|---|---|---|---|
Tesla | $40.4B | Elon Musk 2003 | Model 3 |
Introduction to The Organizational Habits of Tesla
Tesla is a company that defines what it means to break the rules and change the game. No car company has brought as much innovation to the car since Henry Ford with the Model-T. All of the improvements to the car industry were small.
Tesla came on the scene, and they decided to change the rules. They would make electric cars that could be updated like apps. There would be no dealerships; you bought these cars directly from them. The vehicles would ride smooth, and they looked sweet. No door handles, and they come with a laptop built-in. They can drive themselves; the list goes on and on.
Owning a Tesla has become the new dream. When you see someone drive by in one, it shows that they have status, but they also care about the planet. Tesla had a lot of setbacks getting started, but their founder Elon Musk, will stop at nothing to achieve his mission. He has carried the company to being one of the top-selling car companies in the USA. If you want to learn more about him and Tesla, give this book a read.
Quotes to Prepare for The Organizational Habits of Tesla
"If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it." - Elon Musk
"You want to be extra rigorous about making the best possible thing you can. Find everything that's wrong with it, and fix it. Seek negative feedback, particularly from friends." - Elon Musk
"My mentality is that of a samurai. I would rather commit seppuku than fail." - Elon Musk
"I would tell those people they will get to see their families a lot when we go bankrupt." - Elon Musk
"At least when there's an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for an AI, there will be no death — it would live forever. And then you would have an immortal dictator from which we could never escape." - Elon Musk
"I don't spend my time pontificating about high-concept things; I spend my time solving engineering and manufacturing problems." - Elon Musk
“If you're trying to create a company, it's like baking a cake. You have to have all the ingredients in the right proportion." - Elon Musk
Organizational Habits of Tesla
#1 - Work Insanely Hard
For Elong Musk working a 20 hour day is no big deal. He was like this when he was working on his first start-up (before PayPal, which he sold for more than $20M). He would sleep under his desk and tell people when they came back in the morning to wake up him up if he is sleeping.
Elon Musk works like crazy as the CEO of Tesla and Space X. He is no stranger to rolling up his sleeves and figuring out how to get something done. He is not above any task, and because of that, everyone at Tesla is expected to show up.
The only way you can keep up with the breakneck pace and work hard enough to be at Tesla is if you are genuinely passionate about electric cars and getting them to become mainstream. Tesla is turning transportation upside down, and you have to love that. Otherwise, you won't last.
#2 - Transparent Communication
Tesla is transparent with shareholders, employees, and customers.
With shareholders, Tesla holds a long Q+A, and they also write a longer letter to shareholders than most companies. When it comes to employees, everyone in the company can talk to any person. They only care about solving the most significant problem most quickly.
Elon Musk hates how hierarchy slows things down. Lastly is the customers, Tesla shares its patents and how they make their cars. They want the general public to create their ideas because they care about the mission, not just making money.
There are not many companies that achieve this level of transparency. Most other companies succeed a little bit and try to hide all of their trade secrets. They are focused on their success more than the mission.
#3 -Be Brave
Tesla is bold in everything they do. They are not trying to follow the crowd at all. They want to set a brand new path. They reveal new products like Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone. Tesla hires young people to come out of school instead of seasoned executives. They look for people who are brave, hungry, and ready to risk it all.
Everything Tesla does is centered around being brave and being bold. The way they put together their cars is bold. They don't do it conventionally. You don't traditionally buy a Tesla either. Of the organizational habits of Tesla, this one is the one that makes them stand out the most.