Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
by Ashlee Vance

What is this book about?

This book is a biography of Elon Musk. He is best known for being the CEO of Tesla, but he is behind the succes of PayPal, SpaceX and SolarCity. The biography describes his life from his childhood in South Africa to his successes with Tesla and SpaceX. He is one of the most visible innovators in Silicon Valley and beyond.

Why should you read this book?

A lot of people have fantastic ideas, that is the easy part of innovation. The hard part is realizing these ideas, the execution. Elon Musk uses the way of working he learned in Silicon Valley to innovate in industries that have huge legacies and enormous barriers of entry: automotive and space. It’s interesting and inspiring to read how Elon gets things done, what skills he developed and how his is applying them. Somehow he succeeds in creating the organizations and the cultures that are necessary to innovate. He does so by simultaneously working on strategy and operational details and by breaking down the walls between strategy, design and delivery. He sets large goals, envisions a roadmap and realizes what others can’t.