[ModernMech]

That's because Musk personally oversaw the design of the Cybertruck and likely rejected all pleas to make sensible decisions. Musk did not design the other models.

Just like how SpaceX and Tesla and Twitter seem like they have three different CEOs; the degree of their competency is inversely proportional to the amount of day-to-day feedback Musk has into their operations.

[jordanb]

He was happy enough to be able to spell s3xy with those cars. Maybe they could have come up with something extremely juvenile for him to do while they designed a rivian

[the_sleaze_]

Like make the integrated voice-activated AI have a setting to swear at and insult you while driving

[fluoridation]

Idea: A car that detects when there's only one occupant, and shouts expletives through the audio system when the driver narrowly avoids hitting something at high speed.

[iso1631]

Call it a model 69 and be done

Or maybe model 6/7 would be better for him nowadays

[AnotherGoodName]

You do see glimpses of it in the other models. Eg. The removal of the indicator stalk likely saved <$100 (if that!) but it's a non-starter for many buyers. That has to be Musk's doing right?

[pengaru]

> You do see glimpses of it in the other models. Eg. The removal of the indicator stalk likely saved <$100 (if that!) but it's a non-starter for many buyers. That has to be Musk's doing right?

"all input is error" - elon musk

wdyt? From where I'm sitting anyone with that position would deprecate the input devices...

[estearum]

Musk's superpower is cult-building. His fatal flaw is that he has no idea that is his superpower.

[throw4847285]

He actually shares a lot in common with his former(?) friend Kanye West. Both crave the validation of others, but when they get it, instead of being satisfied, they become even more needy and insecure. So they pursue anything except what they're actually good at because then if they fail at the thing people actually value them for, it would be too painful. And they surround themselves with yes men who tell them how great they are. All these factors make them more and more isolated and insecure. Combine that with drugs, alcohol, and sex and you have a toxic brew.

You may say this armchair analysis is unfair, but both these men have been so candid, veiled by the thinnest layer of irony, that it's impossible not to see how fragile they are.

[estearum]

I don't think this is unfair at all. I mean this literally has to be one of the three oldest stories ever? And I mean that literally. There is no more timeless a story than: "man gets powerful enough to eliminate negative feedback, becomes stupid/ineffective/self-damaging"

[jordanb]

Kanye made some incredible music in his day, at least. I still listen to College Dropout and Dark Twisted Fantasy.

[matwood]

Kanye's beat/producer credits are also amazing.

[baxtr]

"No idea" doesn’t sound right.

I’d say he thinks he has many superpowers, but maybe in reality just has one.

[jordanb]

His cult is a very specific type of person. The general public finds him repulsive as demonstrated by his time in government.

He's a cult leader with surprisingly horrible political instincts

[fragmede]

> as demonstrated by his time in government

Without actually getting into the specific actions he took while in government, I dare say that what he did during that time was material to people's revulsion and that a different version of him who took different actions would have been differently popular.

[jordanb]

For sure but deciding what to do is part of political instincts. He rolled in, threw some "roman salutes" fired tons of people in an insanely chaotic way while waving a chainsaw around on stage then showed up in the Whitehouse with a black eye he blamed on his toddler

[cogman10]

He did better at hiding his worst instincts. I honestly think the Ketamine has destroyed his ability to hide his worst instincts.

Not saying there weren't leaks that he was a huge asshole. Just saying that I could forgive people for over looking it early on.

[mlinhares]

That's a requirement, part of being in a cult is being rejected by "outsiders" so that you think you have no other options other than staying in the cult.

Classic abusive behavior.

[estearum]

Yeah, most cults are repulsive to most outsiders. Their power is completely derived from the intensity of the in-group's commitment.