Assignment 13: Reading Reflection No. 1

For this assignment, I chose to read Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance.

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

• What surprised you the most? I am in awe of Elon Musk, as is most of the world. What shocked me most was his upbringing. It's nothing to hear a successful person comes from a successful family. I've heard it so frequently that I've sometimes felt that to become a powerful person, you have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth. That's an erroneous way to look at the world and Musk is a prime example of why. It's shocking to read about his upbringing, how he faced abuse as a child and had to work to keep himself fed as a teenager. He knew what it meant to persevere at such a young age. He beat the odds and continues to do so.
• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire? I admire his juggling capabilities. He didn't just launch a successful company, he's built multiple and is actively involved with running several of them. You hear Tesla and SpaceX attached to his name on almost a daily basis, but Zip2, Bank X, and SolarCity are also included in his resume.  
• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? While dedication and confidence are integral parts of being a successful entrepreneur, at times the book had Musk coming off as demanding and cocky.
• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it? Like any risk taker, Musk has encountered failure. He just doesn't let that stop him. Even to this day, Tesla is still struggling with becoming profitable because of production issues. He faced set backs with SolarCity when government regulations in Florida stalled its availability. He talked about his abusive father and childhood trauma. To overcome all the obstacles he faced, Musk's entrepreneur competencies were vital.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? Musk is the definition of tenacious. He faced adversities that would normally hold someone back, but he kept moving along. He was fiercely  determined to turn his ideas into reality. Musk also demonstrated that he takes the initiative, he's creative, and he's persistent. Whenever he sees a solution to a problem, he works like a maniac to prove it's what the world needs.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. Honestly, I think the in-depth details of how SpaceX and Tesla operate were confusing. To an outsider, it was a bit hard to comprehend.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why? Are you happy? If you could do it all over again, go back to being a teenager before you were known to the world, what would you change? Two generic questions, but in a conversation they would produce two non-generic responses that could be very telling of his personal mindset.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? I think Musk's opinion is that hard work is necessary for advancement and a better future. SolarCIty, SpaceX, and Tesla support the idea that Musk is always thinking about what the world will look like tomorrow and how we can shape it today. We can not settle for what's fine right now. I completely agree that to make improvements, dedication is a requirement for any entrepreneur because that's what drives innovation. Complacency kills creativity.