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Mntfrd_Graverobber t1_iua8q41 wrote

So many people and even other auto companies keep thinking Tesla and SpaceX' successes can be easily duplicated. Turns out they both really are genuinely difficult problems and Musk's companies are rather exceptional at finding solutions. But people don't want to admit this, either out of arrogance or personal dislike of Musk.

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ELFAHBEHT_SOOP t1_iuc5cth wrote

Musk is very good at cutting out bureaucracy and giving his engineers the tools they need to get stuff done. Large legacy companies are filled to the brim with bureaucracy. I think the Netflix documentary "Downfall: The case against Boeing" shines a light on exactly how Boeing went from an "engineering first" company like SpaceX to the Wall Street pleasing profits driven company it is today.

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Slightlydifficult t1_iuabqo9 wrote

I honestly hate Musk but I won’t deny how successful his companies have been. Either he’s excellent at creating drive or he knows how to hire great people. I can’t stand the dude but I love my Tesla and I see big things for Starlink in the future.

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pm_me_ur_ephemerides t1_iuax3ul wrote

He knows how to get people to work really hard and how to build a cohesive culture. From what I hear, blue is full of cliques pushing different cultures. Ex-Boeing people, ex-SpaceX people, ex-Aerojet people, etc.

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p-d-ball t1_iubo2c2 wrote

They probably don't let their engineers go to the bathroom.

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Mntfrd_Graverobber t1_iuagfxy wrote

I'm pretty much with you. I could care less about the guy. But I can separate my feelings about stupid shit he says that I disagree with from his and his companies' achievements.

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Few_Carpenter_9185 t1_iuax895 wrote

It's pretty much this.

First an observation of making Acronyms of both companies. "BO" makes one think of "Body Odor". "SX" has connotations of "Sex" maybe?

Anyway, it seems like Musk took a chance on paying a LOT of attention to whatever Legacy Aerospace and NASA do not do well, and pivot 180° from that wherever possible when giving his input to core SpaceX philosophy, organization, and mission.

A lot has to do with Gwynne Shotwell a truly remarkable human being, with a ton of both technical aerospace engineering and business acumen. I'm guessing Musk and whoever did the search for her did a deep dive to find someone committed to "better, faster, cheaper, and different" beyond just superficial platitudes.

I've worked in Aerospace QA from a software ststems/tracking side. And in Manufacturing Execution. So I admittedly have a very vague overhead view of what culture and processes are in the field, but I get the sense, a smell almost... that things are radically different at SpaceX. Risk, process, everything.

I can't say for sure, but Bezos seems to have gotten more into emulating Legacy Aerospace to a degree. And the choice of Bob Smith from ULA and Honeywell might back that up.

Only a subjective impression, but any agility Blue Origin displays seems in response to SpaceX if anything.

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Mntfrd_Graverobber t1_iuaz2cq wrote

The name straight up sounds like "space sex". Because Elon.

Appreciate the insight. And Gwynne is definitely a treasure. I've often said I bet Elon wishes he had someone like that for Tesla. She is certainly part of what makes SpaceX exceptional. And they did hire her because she had a similar idea of "better, faster, cheaper, and different". SpaceX is the kind of company she dreamed she could work for when traditional aerospace was all there was, despite the problems or shortcomings of traditional aerospace being known.

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