27A – Reading Reflection No. 3 -

Book Chosen: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance

1. What surprised you the most?
1. Having read the book, what surprised me the most was reading about Elon's work ethic, as many who worked with him tended to note how he never seemed to leave the office, sleeping on couches overnight in order to devote as much time as he could to his job.
2. What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
1. Everyone around Elon noted his drive to succeed and his strength of will when it came to getting things done. He was committed to succeeding wherever he went, something even noted by his first wife, who felt he even treated their marriage as a business, showing how his organization was a key factor when it came to his success.
3. What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
1. One thing I tended to dislike about Elon was how hands on he was as a leader. While stepping in to correct employees is something that one should do, he would go out of his way to correct employees quickly, rudely, and at times, without even telling them. Elon even noted eventually how this behavior was negative, making employees unproductive when it came to getting work done as they would resent him.
4. Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
1. While developing SpaceX, the program itself saw much difficulty when it came to refining the technology involved in order to develop reusable rockets. Even as those around Elon gave up and found themselves disheartened, he would instead keep positive and work on other projects instead, trying new methods in order to succeed.
5. What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 
1. Elon was super detail oriented and timely. When it came to developing the Tesla Roadster, he would force employees to come in early every day and drove them to slash costs, with Elon playing such a personal role in proceedings that he would correct employees if they put an incorrect figure with a presentation.
6. Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
1.   One part of the reading that I didn't understand was how Elon as a person grew to become so competitive and abrasive to those that he worked with, something that many around him noted and wasn't made clear, even with the description of his childhood. 
7. If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
1. What would be the hardest industry for you to transition into? Mainly due to the fact that with all of Elon's competencies, what would type of industry might he actually find difficult to expand into?
2. While Elon reflected on the presence of apartheid around him a lot during his childhood in South Africa, was he actually active when it came to protesting it? Simply due to the fact that the biography touches on how he was very aware of the social institutions around him. 
8. For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
1. I feel that Elon valued hard work a lot, as many of his successes can be traced to himself committing so much time and active effort, such as when he slept in his office overnight constantly to be ready and meet deadlines. I definitely share this opinion, as working harder can translate directly to working smarter in a lot of cases, as Elon demonstrated when it came to ensuring the success of his companies.