Reading Reflection No. 1
Having read the biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance, I've drawn a couple conclusions about the entrepreneur, Elon Musk, which I have summarized and listed below.
What surprised me the most?
Having not known Musk's background, I was surprised by the sheer amount of things he has accomplished in the few decades he has been alive. He was creating and selling something of his own making before he even hit puberty. That's incredible! Additionally, his ultimate goal to preserve humanity was quite surprising to me. I believed he must have had some greater driver than pure profit for all that he does, but I didn’t realize what it actually was until reading about him.
What about the entrepreneur did I most admire? I most admire Musk's sheer determination and work ethic. He has such a great amount of tenacity it's incredible. He formed multiple companies in different industries, but managed to use them to work toward his own ultimate personal goal: saving humanity (which includes making humans an interplanetary species). Even in his personal life, Musk was so determined he gained the favor of his first wife, despite her initial standing him up of their first ice cream date. That kind of determination most assuredly has contributed to his vast success.
What about the entrepreneur did I least admire?
Due to Musk's incredible dedication to his work, Musk doesn’t have as much time for his personal life, his family. He had two failed marriages and six kids as a result. He proposed putting in 10 hours a week for a new girlfriend. His priorities have led to great success in his work life, but he has in turn partially neglected his family, even if he does try his best to spend time with them.
Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? What do they do about it?
Musk did encounter adversity and failure. His childhood alone was difficult to say the least. His parents divorced when he was young and he was bullied in school. He once read 60 books in a singular month. Musk dealt with obstacles by pushing through them. He focused on himself and his goals, rather than what was in the way. Whatever he could do himself he did. He attempted to buy a rocket from the Russians, but when that failed he decided to build it himself. In short, Musk is a do-it-yourself kind of guy. He believes if you want things done right, you should do them yourself...essentially.
What competencies did I notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
While Musk must be characterized by numerous competencies, the main entrepreneurial competencies he exhibited are persistence, initiative, creativity, and risk taking/management. After selling PayPal, Musk jumped right into his next few business ventures: SolarCity, SpaceX, and Tesla. He juggles a number of billion dollar companies at once, requiring the above competencies to do so.
One part of the reading that was confusing to me...
I reached a chapter of the book concerning Musk's escape to Canada. I was a little confused by this part of the reading, as, despite my prior knowledge of Musk, I had never heard of this running away to Canada as a mere teenager. I can't even fathom having left home at such an age, especially entirely leaving one's home country. I understand that he faced extreme circumstances, but the lack of planning involved and the sheer insanity regarding the concept of his plan just threw me off. I was surprised and confused to say the least. Even having started with essentially nothing, Musk has come to be incredibly successful and his determination has not faltered.
If I were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would I ask? Why?
(1) Do you throw yourself so heavily into work to distract yourself, specifically from your personal life and hardships you've face?
What do I think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do I share that opinion?
I think Musk's opinion of hard work consists of remaining determined, or being even more so determined, in the face or failure and/or rejection. His success is largely due to his determination; so, that must be central to his view of hard work. I do share that opinion. I don’t believe in receiving things through pure handouts, as the satisfaction of success comes from the joy felt from the work you put into things.
What surprised me the most?
Having not known Musk's background, I was surprised by the sheer amount of things he has accomplished in the few decades he has been alive. He was creating and selling something of his own making before he even hit puberty. That's incredible! Additionally, his ultimate goal to preserve humanity was quite surprising to me. I believed he must have had some greater driver than pure profit for all that he does, but I didn’t realize what it actually was until reading about him.
What about the entrepreneur did I most admire? I most admire Musk's sheer determination and work ethic. He has such a great amount of tenacity it's incredible. He formed multiple companies in different industries, but managed to use them to work toward his own ultimate personal goal: saving humanity (which includes making humans an interplanetary species). Even in his personal life, Musk was so determined he gained the favor of his first wife, despite her initial standing him up of their first ice cream date. That kind of determination most assuredly has contributed to his vast success.
What about the entrepreneur did I least admire?
Due to Musk's incredible dedication to his work, Musk doesn’t have as much time for his personal life, his family. He had two failed marriages and six kids as a result. He proposed putting in 10 hours a week for a new girlfriend. His priorities have led to great success in his work life, but he has in turn partially neglected his family, even if he does try his best to spend time with them.
Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? What do they do about it?
Musk did encounter adversity and failure. His childhood alone was difficult to say the least. His parents divorced when he was young and he was bullied in school. He once read 60 books in a singular month. Musk dealt with obstacles by pushing through them. He focused on himself and his goals, rather than what was in the way. Whatever he could do himself he did. He attempted to buy a rocket from the Russians, but when that failed he decided to build it himself. In short, Musk is a do-it-yourself kind of guy. He believes if you want things done right, you should do them yourself...essentially.
What competencies did I notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
While Musk must be characterized by numerous competencies, the main entrepreneurial competencies he exhibited are persistence, initiative, creativity, and risk taking/management. After selling PayPal, Musk jumped right into his next few business ventures: SolarCity, SpaceX, and Tesla. He juggles a number of billion dollar companies at once, requiring the above competencies to do so.
One part of the reading that was confusing to me...
I reached a chapter of the book concerning Musk's escape to Canada. I was a little confused by this part of the reading, as, despite my prior knowledge of Musk, I had never heard of this running away to Canada as a mere teenager. I can't even fathom having left home at such an age, especially entirely leaving one's home country. I understand that he faced extreme circumstances, but the lack of planning involved and the sheer insanity regarding the concept of his plan just threw me off. I was surprised and confused to say the least. Even having started with essentially nothing, Musk has come to be incredibly successful and his determination has not faltered.
If I were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would I ask? Why?
(1) Do you throw yourself so heavily into work to distract yourself, specifically from your personal life and hardships you've face?
- I ask this question because, as the biography says, Musk threw himself into work in SpaceX after the death of his infant son, Nevada. I wonder if that is his main drive for his constant determination, rather than simply a wish to save humanity.
- I wonder if Musk believes that he got to where he is today strictly due to his dedication to work or if there is some natural talents he possesses that have contributed as well.
What do I think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do I share that opinion?
I think Musk's opinion of hard work consists of remaining determined, or being even more so determined, in the face or failure and/or rejection. His success is largely due to his determination; so, that must be central to his view of hard work. I do share that opinion. I don’t believe in receiving things through pure handouts, as the satisfaction of success comes from the joy felt from the work you put into things.
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