Elon Musk’s 5-Step Work Optimization Algorithm

1. Question all requirements: (People tend to just follow someone’s requirements to get things done quickly) and are less likely to question the requirements of smart people. But this is a very dangerous thing to do. So question no matter how smart he is. Always question my (=Elon Musk) requirements as well. After that, make the requirements less stupid.
2. Remove parts, processes, as much as possible: of course you may have to add it later (after removing it first). In fact, if you don’t add more than 10% (after removing everything you can remove first), that means you haven’t removed enough.
3. Simplify and optimize: Simplifying and optimizing is a task that must be done after the first two steps. Common mistakes are simplifying and optimizing parts or processes that shouldn’t exist. (They just have to be removed.)
4. Slow down: Any process can be accelerated. However, this must also be done after the first three steps have been taken. One of the mistakes I made at the Tesla factory was that I spent a lot of time accelerating a process that should have been eliminated in the first place.
5. Automate: Automate is the last thing you need to do. The biggest mistake I made at the Tesla factory was, from the beginning, trying to automate every step of the way. I should have done it after questioning all the requirements, removing (unnecessary) parts and processes, and waiting for a solution to the bug to come out.

And this algorithm comes with some side points, which are as follows.

• All technical managers must have hands-on experience. For example, software team managers must devote at least 20% of their work time to coding, and solar roof managers must climb the roof for at least a certain amount of time to install. Otherwise, you’ll be like a cavalry leader who can’t ride a horse or a general who can’t use a knife.
• It is dangerous. This is because it makes it difficult for each other to object to each other’s business. This is something you should be wary of and avoid.
• It’s okay to be wrong, but you shouldn’t argue that what’s wrong is right.
• Don’t ask a team member to do something you don’t want to do.
• When hiring staff, you need to find the right person with the right attitude. Skills can be taught, but you need to change your brain to change your attitude.
• The only rule (that we have to abide by) is by the laws of physics. Everything else, it’s just recommendations (not truth).
• Walter Isaacson, in “Elon Musk”