"Can’t believe you’re even writing about this. My job as CEO is to focus on what’s most critical, which is currently Model 3 production. Doug, who I regard as one of the world’s most talented engineering execs, is focused on vehicle engineering."
"About a year ago, I asked Doug to manage both engineering & production. He agreed that Tesla needed eng & prod better aligned, so we don’t design cars that are crazy hard to build. Right now, tho, better to divide & conquer, so I’m back to sleeping at factory. Car biz is hell …"
I can only imagine how much experience and knowledge Elon is gaining by micromanaging (a good thing) this much, compared to say how much the top executive at other vehicle manufacturers have evolved to become.
Edit: Downvotes on this comment? Really? What, do you think you're able to imagine the amount of experience he's getting? Do you think the top execs at other manufacturers have the same experience and hands-on approach?
I have no interest or involvment in Tesla. But from an outsider's perspective I can't help but notice that when you're this little company with no chance of making it, the press is very bulish about your company.
As soon as you become large, they look up at you and can't wait to see you fall, overly negative.
Who thought making cars was difficult? And mass production? And electrical cars, pushing the boundaries or batteries.
The light are still on in the factory, so the company's doing well.
His big problem is over promise. Yes, he promises big but does not deliver. The press loves to play both sides. It reports the promises and the lack of delivery on his part too. The press couldn't care either way as long as it brings in readers.
> But from an outsider's perspective I can't help but notice that when you're this little company with no chance of making it, the press is very bulish about your company. As soon as you become large, they look up at you and can't wait to see you fall, overly negative.
This isn't just a press bias, but a seemingly-universal human bias.
People are so excited about Tesla that they may overlook the risks. It is responsible of the press to highlight the problems Tesla faces so people can make responsible financial decisions when buying Tesla bonds and stocks, and so Tesla is pressured to minimize these risks.
There seems to be a strong anti-Tesla campaign afoot. I'm not surprised given that the entire auto industry wants them to fail and a significant portion of the auto industry (and unions, etc.) want EVs to fail in general.
Tesla seems to be having some severe growing pains, but I have learned not to count Elon or any of his ventures out. Self-landing reusable rockets were impossible too according to pretty much the entire aerospace industry. If it comes down to it Tesla could still raise quite a bit of money almost overnight, albeit probably with more dilution than they would prefer. I have little doubt that they will eventually scale up. Question is how much blood they will have to spill in the form of liquidity and market cap before they get there.
The NHTSA faulted Tesla for the last fatal crash and its likely they will get faulted for the current. I am just shocked that after this one that they haven't suspended its use. The level of chutzpah this company operates at is very dangerous to its future but the public as well.
The production issues are a whole different can of worms but the autonomous driving accidents are what the public sees.
People need to understand that Tesla is not the only company that can deliver self driving hardware nor are they the only manufacturer of EVs. They are currently the maker of the more desired EV but with some of the old school automakers joining the fray they will see their high end model profit vanish.
finally, I am still not convinced they ever plan to actually sell a base model.
downvote edit
Please see an owner recreation using the same version AP with the same condition zhttps://youtu.be/6QCF8tVqM3I
What is the rational thought it permitting that on the road.
I think Musk is outstanding, but I could never see how he could run SpaceX, Tesla, OpenAI, the Boaring Company, Hyperloop all at the same time. It could be twice as Smart as the next smartest individual on the planet but there’s no free lunch. Time spent in one place is time given up somewhere else. We’ve known that Tesla has had production problems for a long time and if I was on the board I would have said drop all of your side projects and focus on fixing this company. I’m sure Musk has fired people for a lot less.
“Can’t believe you’re even writing about this. My job as CEO is to focus on what’s most critical, which is currently Model 3 production. Doug, who I regard as one of the world’s most talented engineering execs, is focused on vehicle engineering.”
He has also tweeted :
"About a year ago, I asked Doug to manage both engineering & production. He agreed that Tesla needed eng & prod better aligned, so we don’t design cars that are crazy hard to build. Right now, tho, better to divide & conquer, so I’m back to sleeping at factory. Car biz is hell …"
This article feels a bit over reaching to meet the current narrative that Tesla is failing. As someone who has owned a Tesla, I'd much rather they ramp when they are ready to ramp than skip steps just to hit their targets. QA is a very important step that they have to get right.
Wait. The author wants me to pay for what appears to be an outside-in, uneducated, irrelevant take on Tesla's internal problems? No thank you. Let them deal with it.
[+] [-] beltex|8 years ago|reply
"About a year ago, I asked Doug to manage both engineering & production. He agreed that Tesla needed eng & prod better aligned, so we don’t design cars that are crazy hard to build. Right now, tho, better to divide & conquer, so I’m back to sleeping at factory. Car biz is hell …"
[1] https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/980910671763193856
[2] https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/980913157739765761
[+] [-] FireBeyond|8 years ago|reply
One of those things doesn't sound much like the other.
[+] [-] iooi|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] loceng|8 years ago|reply
Edit: Downvotes on this comment? Really? What, do you think you're able to imagine the amount of experience he's getting? Do you think the top execs at other manufacturers have the same experience and hands-on approach?
[+] [-] unknown|8 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] keyle|8 years ago|reply
As soon as you become large, they look up at you and can't wait to see you fall, overly negative.
Who thought making cars was difficult? And mass production? And electrical cars, pushing the boundaries or batteries.
The light are still on in the factory, so the company's doing well.
[+] [-] WheelsAtLarge|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] CharlesW|8 years ago|reply
This isn't just a press bias, but a seemingly-universal human bias.
[1] https://undark.org/article/why-we-root-for-the-underdog/
[+] [-] omarforgotpwd|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] api|8 years ago|reply
Tesla seems to be having some severe growing pains, but I have learned not to count Elon or any of his ventures out. Self-landing reusable rockets were impossible too according to pretty much the entire aerospace industry. If it comes down to it Tesla could still raise quite a bit of money almost overnight, albeit probably with more dilution than they would prefer. I have little doubt that they will eventually scale up. Question is how much blood they will have to spill in the form of liquidity and market cap before they get there.
[+] [-] cornellwright|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] duhast|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jijojv|8 years ago|reply
Still waiting on the self-driving vaporware that thousands paid advance for...
1. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/823727035088416768 3 months maybe, 6 months definitely 23 Jan 2017
[+] [-] Shivetya|8 years ago|reply
The production issues are a whole different can of worms but the autonomous driving accidents are what the public sees.
People need to understand that Tesla is not the only company that can deliver self driving hardware nor are they the only manufacturer of EVs. They are currently the maker of the more desired EV but with some of the old school automakers joining the fray they will see their high end model profit vanish.
finally, I am still not convinced they ever plan to actually sell a base model.
downvote edit Please see an owner recreation using the same version AP with the same condition zhttps://youtu.be/6QCF8tVqM3I
What is the rational thought it permitting that on the road.
[+] [-] rdlecler1|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] trollied|8 years ago|reply
“Can’t believe you’re even writing about this. My job as CEO is to focus on what’s most critical, which is currently Model 3 production. Doug, who I regard as one of the world’s most talented engineering execs, is focused on vehicle engineering.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/98091067176319385...
[+] [-] praneshp|8 years ago|reply
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/980913157739765761
[+] [-] dewski|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Someone1234|8 years ago|reply
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/02/elon-musk-takes-charge-of-te...
[+] [-] amerine|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] agumonkey|8 years ago|reply
I wish success to Tesla, at least a little bit, but I'm really curious to know how they fixed their assembly line
[+] [-] serf|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mvpu|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mdekkers|8 years ago|reply