How an exploding satellite triggered an epic rivalry (Musk vs. Zuckerberg)

[Bob In PA]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exploding-satellite-triggered-epic-rivalry-170541717.html

[Philosophers]

Musk is an idea guy and much less an operator.  He gets itchy to move on to next season idea.  His ideas are usually very good.  He has not yet proven to me that any one of his products is much better than his competition.  Tesla got off to a good start by being way ahead of other car companies in terms of battery technology but other car companies have caught up.  His actual car suffers from a host of mechanical issues that make it inferior to other companies like Mercedes.  Musk is too much of a narcissist.

Zuckerberg created 1 amazing product Facebook but has not been able to create a 2nd transformational product however he's been very smart to offset that by making brilliant acquisitions (Instagram, WhatsApp) and integrated them into one company effectively.  As smart as he is, he gets myopic and bets heavily (aka to the detriment of his company) on ideas others dont see such as the Metaverse.  Zuckerberg is classic anti-social nerd brain.

[Bob In PA]

Musk is an idea guy and much less an operator.

Phil: IMO you excel at coming up with interesting perspectives, and that is one of them.

I have no idea whether it's true, but I think there is at least some evidence of it.

I see Musk as exhibiting some tyrannical qualities. And he appears to expect people to push themselves as hard as he pushes himself, but yours is a broad statement, and I believe I lack sufficient info to agree or disagree.

Bob

[Philosophers]

Phil: IMO you excel at coming up with interesting perspectives, and that is one of them.

I have no idea whether it's true, but I think there is at least some evidence of it.

I see Musk as exhibiting some tyrannical qualities. And he appears to expect people to push themselves as hard as he pushes himself, but yours is a broad statement, and I believe I lack sufficient info to agree or disagree.

Bob

Bob - the first time I thought about that was around 1989 when I heard Mitch Kapor (creator of Lotus 1-2-3, the predecessor spreadsheet software to Microsoft Excel) say that once he came up with the idea of Lotus 1-2-3 and built it and got the company running from a high growth stage to stabilization, he realized he was the wrong person to be running at the company at that point as a different mindset needs to run companies once stabilized then in high growth.  I've thought about that from that point on that few people have the talent to do both. 

[Bob In PA]

Bob - the first time I thought about that was around 1989 when I heard Mitch Kapor (creator of Lotus 1-2-3, the predecessor spreadsheet software to Microsoft Excel) say that once he came up with the idea of Lotus 1-2-3 and built it and got the company running from a high growth stage to stabilization, he realized he was the wrong person to be running at the company at that point as a different mindset needs to run companies once stabilized then in high growth.  I've thought about that from that point on that few people have the talent to do both. 

Phil: I think I agree with all that, although back then I wasn't paying too much attention to the events.

I don't know much about early days of computers, but I have read one or two books about the rise of the Internet.

As for types of people, I agree that there is a "genius" in coming up with an idea and a completely different type of "genius" in knowing how to hire people who are better than yourself to implement that idea.

Bob

[Philosophers]

Phil: I think I agree with all that, although back then I wasn't paying too much attention to the events.

I don't know much about early days of computers, but I have read one or two books about the rise of the Internet.

As for types of people, I agree that there is a "genius" in coming up with an idea and a completely different type of "genius" in knowing how to hire people who are better than yourself to implement that idea.

Bob

Bob - i've been reading and listening to Ray Dalio who founded the largest hedge fund in the world, Bridgewater Associates.  I think you should check him out as I think you'd like how his brain is wired.  Brilliant man.  He said his company really took off in the early 1980s when he changed his mindset of implementing his ideas which he thought then were the best ideas but upon reflection realized that probably a third of his ideas were bad ideas.  He went to what he called an "idea meritocracy" at his company.  Best idea no matter who comes up with it.  He's a guy worth listening to.

[DaveBrown74]

I have my opinions like everyone else, but I do try to call them like I see them. This is pretty immature stuff from Musk here:


https://pagesix.com/2023/07/10/elon-musk-challenges-mark-zuckerberg-to-d-k-measuring-contest/

[Bob In PA]

Bob - i've been reading and listening to Ray Dalio who founded the largest hedge fund in the world, Bridgewater Associates.  I think you should check him out as I think you'd like how his brain is wired.  Brilliant man.  He said his company really took off in the early 1980s when he changed his mindset of implementing his ideas which he thought then were the best ideas but upon reflection realized that probably a third of his ideas were bad ideas.  He went to what he called an "idea meritocracy" at his company.  Best idea no matter who comes up with it.  He's a guy worth listening to.

Phil: I have a cousin who knows him, but never got to meet him.

Yes, you've got to have a bit of sincere humility to do what Ray did, and it's admirable.

Most big-shots are too self-centered or insecure to allow that to happen.  "Pride goeth before a fall." 

Bob