Can You Be An Innovator? Elon Musk Thinks You Can

Ever wondered if you could be an innovator? Now is the time to find out! 

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, one of the most innovative entrepreneurs, Elon Musk, revealed that innovation is “absolutely learnable”. According to Inc, the Tesla and SpaceX founder believes that in order to make your product a winner, you just need to answer three simple questions:

1. Have you tried it? 

“Step one would be, try it,” Musk said. “Have you tried it? Have you tried hard? If you haven’t tried hard, try hard.” 

Basically, what Musk said was that innovation doesn’t have to be something crazy. It just means you have to be a perfectionist about the product that you are creating. “Just make your product better. This is the thing that really matters,” he added.

2. How can you make it better?

Musk also emphasized the importance of loving the product yourself. This is the way you can actually make it better. Instead of creating something the potential client would love, he believes you should ask yourself what you would love to have.

“I’ve had this conversation at Tesla a few times where we don’t love this product but we think others will love it,” Musk explained. “And you know, that’s not really how it works. If you don’t love it, don’t expect others will, either.”

3. Are you spending too much time in conference rooms?

“If you find yourself spending a lot of time getting presentations and reviewing spreadsheets, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Musk said. “When I spend too much time in conference rooms, that’s generally when things have gone awry. And when I go spend time on the factory floor, or really using the cars, or thinking about the rockets, that’s when things have gone better.” 

While analyzing everything theoretically is great, analyzing the actual product and processes is where you can really take it to the next level.