Elon Musk - Be Less Wrong

Leaders of construction companies will likely never be at the same level of cutting-edge development as Elon Musk is between Space-X and Tesla.

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Except; of course for the first contractor on Mars!  

Quote: You should take the approach that you're wrong. Your goal is to be less wrong. Elon Musk.

Remember that Elon Musk came from a technical background where he was use to creating the future - things that did not exist yet.  His first couple companies were all software with light requirements on capital, relatively small workforce, a single engineering discipline, little government regulation and fewer stakeholders.  

As he is building Space-X and Tesla the complexity has been increased exponentially and he is having to learn to lead through that complexity.  He has had to get use to that constant feeling of uncertainty and refine his skills leading a team even in the face of opposition, failures and many unknowns. 

What construction leaders have in common with Elon Musk is that relative to the last few decades the industry is demanding changes at an exponential rate between technology, project delivery methods, talent shortages and industry consolidation.  

It’s worth learning how Elon Musk views the world and creates a vision for the future; especially how he deals with failure from an analysis and adjustment perspective.   

Elon Musk Biography

Continuous Improvement

Fail 9 Times to Succeed




Lean Principle - People First (Then Process and Tools)
To optimize productivity, a contractor must focus on their people first, then processes and tools including technology as an integrated management system with a hierarchy. This is not a linear process: S.M.A.R.T. Experiments + Continuous Improvement.
Valuing a Construction Business
There is no single right way to value a construction business, although there are many methods that have validity. Keep in mind that the definition of “Fair Market Value” is quite simply what a willing seller and buyer agree to.
Definition - Capacity
How Much of something (capability) a person, team, or company handle. Consider this in ranges of comfortable (sustainable) and peak (sprints).