Lynn Thoman

What is the first step of that algorithm and how did it shape the way Tesla was built?

Can you share more of what that looked like in the design of Tesla cars and how Mattel toy cars with just a top and bottom piece became a kind of inspiration?

Not to mention many fewer repair issues and problems.

Something else that stands out that Elon doesn't hire people who've worked in the auto industry or in the space industry.

Why is that?

Is it because they carry too many assumptions about how things have to be done?

John, you had weekly meetings with Elon every Tuesday.

Did knowing you and the team had to report progress directly to him light a fire under the entire organization?

What were those meetings actually like?

One thing you've noted is that Elon can sometimes just sit there in silence during meetings.

What's going on in those moments?

Elon is famous for setting targets that seem wildly ambitious.

Was that deliberate setting goals so big that the only way to get there was to question every underlying assumption?

One of Elon's rules is to simplify everything and delete every possible step in a process.

How did that play out at Tesla when somebody buys a car?

At one point, Tesla did something that sounded almost crazy.

It built an entire assembly line run by humans instead of machines.

Why did Tesla do that?

Stepping back, after working with Elon as president of Tesla, what's the biggest lesson you took away about building companies?

John, what are the three takeaways you'd like to leave the audience with today?