Elons breakthroughs are largely financial, and I don't like the guy but I admit this for sure.
Elon is the kind of guy who can gather $Billions from the market year over year, each time promising that this is the last time and the company will be a wild success afterwards.
Remember when Model 3 factory was all that Tesla needed in 2014? But then full self driving, Cybertruck, battery swap, AI robot that plugs in the cord for you, Model Y, Tesla Semi, Solar City buyout, Solar Shingles, Dojo Supercomputer, $35k Model 3, 4680 cells, etc etc.
It's the same thing year over year. He brings up a topic without necessarily promising that it's coming. He uses it to get another $Billion in loans and equity. He fails upwards, if a thing fails (see battery swap, solar Shingles, full self driving) it still raised equity / bonds and gets him more investors the next year.
> starting with the roadster's gearless transmission.
This is a great example of "Habits of Highly Overrated People".
The Tesla company started in 2003, but Elon Musk started in 2004 after the three founders looked for money. Later, Elon Musk sued Eberhard (the actual founder) to have the right to call himself a co-founder.
IE: Elon Musk, in reality with respect to the Roadster, hits #3, #4, #5, and #7 from the listed blogpost.
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Elon's primary contribution was money. The actual founders of Tesla were Eberhard and Tarpenning, and those two seemed to be the technical leaders/brains behind the operations.
Now that we're 10+ years after their departure, Tesla can't make a Cybertruck in a reasonable timeframe. Instead, they get beaten to market by Ford, Rivian, and more.
Elon is the kind of guy who can gather $Billions from the market year over year, each time promising that this is the last time and the company will be a wild success afterwards.
Remember when Model 3 factory was all that Tesla needed in 2014? But then full self driving, Cybertruck, battery swap, AI robot that plugs in the cord for you, Model Y, Tesla Semi, Solar City buyout, Solar Shingles, Dojo Supercomputer, $35k Model 3, 4680 cells, etc etc.
It's the same thing year over year. He brings up a topic without necessarily promising that it's coming. He uses it to get another $Billion in loans and equity. He fails upwards, if a thing fails (see battery swap, solar Shingles, full self driving) it still raised equity / bonds and gets him more investors the next year.