I got up early to watch the SpaceX launch on Sunday and it was amazing. I am 2/3 of the way through the Elon Musk biography by Walter Isaacson. The launch AND landing of the rocket booster being caught by the “chop sticks” was predicted in the book.
When you read the book, you get a deep dive into how he thinks and operates. I had no idea to the extent he drove himself and others to get results.
“We are not shooting for the moon. We are shooting for mars. A maniacal sense of urgency is our operating principle” ……It was better to try and fail rather than analyze the issue for months. “If you make things fast, you can find out fast. And then you can fix it fast.”
When they were creating the 1337 engine for the rocket booster used yesterday, three things stood out to me.
- They put in automotive-style solutions for production and sourcing parts. In some cases, the cost savings was 90%. He had the top Tesla execs walk the SpaceX manufacturing line and suggest automotive techniques to SIMPLIFY that process. They made many changes after he pointed out time after time at needles complexities in the line.
- He put the DESIGN engineers in charge of SpaceX production. He did NOT do that initially at Tesla and Musk admitted it was a “bullshit mistake.” They now had ownership. “If the design is expensive to produce, change the design.”
- In an effort to increase production speed, simplify the process and cut costs he said:
“We are on a DELETION rampage!! Noting is sacred. Ay remotely questionable tubes, sensors, manifolds, etc. will be deleted tonight. Please go ultra-hardcore on deletion and simplification. If we don’t end up ADDING BACK some parts later, we haven’t deleted enough.”
When Elon purchased Twitter (now X, which is also the name of one of his sons), he quickly realized it was bloated. Videos were posted like this from Twitter employees talking about their “workday.” He eliminated 80% of the employees, worked to eliminate the censorship and shadow banning of “misinformation”. The company is running just fine after on 20% of the workforce.
America does not have a TAXING problem we have a massive SPENDING problem.
According to the US Treasury so far in 2024 we have taken in $4.39 TRILLION in taxes and spent $6.29 TRILLION.
That is a !#%$@$#% PROBLEM.
We need to go on a deletion rampage on Federal AND State government programs. We must simplify and find the waste and FRAUD which we all now is rampant. The Federal debt is over $38 Trillion and unfunded liabilities of over 100 Trillion! The INTEREST on the debt in 2023 was $659 BILLION.
Examples – Over 500,000 government employees make over $100,000 and that does not include their benefits and pension package.
Why do we need a Dept. of Education when every state, city and local school board can make those decisions at the local level?
Spending countless BILLIONS around the world to countries when we are essentially bankrupt. $200 Billion to Ukraine and $750 for hurricane survivors in NC/TN/SC etc.
We need change and not in baby steps. We need a radical rampage of cost cutting and reevaluate the role of government in America. I am not sure where he will find the time, but putting Elon in charge of the program to CUT WASTE is a start.