[cromwellian]

Heard the same arguments when Musk tried to get into rockets. He has no experience making rockets.

Then there was the naysaying when Apple was first getting into phones. What does Apple know about phones? How can they possibly compete with the likes of Nokia?

Often industries are disrupted by newcomers who aren't constrained by the thinking of the existing players. Yes, Musk can't violate the laws of physics or economics. But the cost structures of existing players aren't always dictated by the fundamentals, but also by their own organizational baggage and structure. Hence, SpaceX can compete effectively with DoD defense contractors hooked on hugely inefficient government contracts. Is it that Boeing or Lockheed can't things as cheaply, or that SpaceX quality has to suffer? Maybe the way the government dictates things get funded and manufactured leads to inefficiencies, like spreading things around congressional districts.

Likewise, for other car companies, the Big Three in particular, they are somewhat constrained by their existing investments, existing unions, and just plain old conservativism and aversion to risk taking.

So maybe Musk will fail utterly. No pain, no gain I say. He also has a chance of succeeding spectacularly.

[jblow]

Indeed. The article ignores the history of success in the face of comments just like this one.

Example: Many, many naysayers said the idea that Tesla could begin shipping the Model S to customers in 2012 was absurd, that they were naive and didn't understand the complexities of building a vehicle like Detroit does, etc. Well, they just did it.

Before that, everyone said nobody would buy electric vehicles because (a) you can't get them over 100 miles in range, so nobody will want them, and (b) because there is no charging infrastructure. So Tesla just built bigger/better batteries and built a charging infrastructure.

The problem with articles like this is they are just some random guy saying stuff and it doesn't matter to him ultimately if what he is saying is correct.

[cpeterso]

I saw an interview with Musk where he said precisely that. SpaceX's innovated with process, not necessarily technology.

[madospace]

Agree, Innovation is not going to come from the people who know in and out of it or who are experts in it, but is from one who comes from outside and questions 'Why we do it like that?'

[barlescabbage]

Perfectly stated

[monsterix]

Besides that, even if he fails I am happy to have lived with someone like him among us.

Every time I see these negative media people pulling the right things down and the wrong things up, I feel these blokes are by design all about increasing entropy (Could be true!). There is no fix for broken media so to speak.

[jagtesh]

This article promotes sensationalism at best. It is an opinionated piece mixing facts and fiction to prove a point.