Comments about recent Tesla staff changes

[danny]

David Vespremi is no longer with Tesla Motors.


(Edit from TEG: This thread now contains only selected comments split off from another thread here)

The original thread was talking about the departure of a particular employee from Tesla, but some of the responses went a bit astray, so I split it into two different topics. No comments have been deleted, only just separated into two different threads.

 

[rogerred]

I guess when you outshine others and they take credit for all of your work, you're bound to be out of a job at some point. probably sooner rather than later. Seems like a pandemic at Tesla. best of luck David.

 

[malcolm]

Come on guys. I know that there is a tendency to grow attached to particular individuals who have made a strong public impression through the Tesla videos and the blogs, but we have got to try to move on from picking over the bones of changes in Tesla personel.

I don't know the circumstances of David's departure, but even if they were negative, the project still continues.

I'm sure there will be Official, Unofficial, Edited, and Spurious Histories written about the early days of Tesla. We can complain about them when they appear.

Right now, we need to do what we can to see that Tesla lives long enough to have a history.

Incidentaly, has anyone made a backup of the Tesla blogs?

 

[manofmight]

I disagree (a lot). A company's well being is directly connected with the people who started it and worked for the company.

Many Silicon Valley companies have lost their ways when political types take over from the "doers" and "visionaries". These political types usurp work done by others and ultimately run the company to the ground.

I am not very optimistic for Tesla - having witnessed the dismissal of people who were key to the initial success (including the founder, VP of Sales, Director of PR and many others) I can see how things go South from this point on. Now it seems that all those functions combined in one person (VP of Sales, Marketing and Service). With him running everything Tesla is VERY UNLIKELY to make it accross Geoffrey Moore's "chasm".
Darryl, turn off the light after you left!

 

[siry]

I disagree (a lot). A company's well being is directly connected with the people who started it and worked for the company.

Many Silicon Valley companies have lost their ways when political types take over from the "doers" and "visionaries". These political types usurp work done by others and ultimately run the company to the ground.

I am not very optimistic for Tesla - having witnessed the dismissal of people who were key to the initial success (including the founder, VP of Sales, Director of PR and many others) I can see how things go South from this point on. Now it seems that all those functions combined in one person (VP of Sales, Marketing and Service). With him running everything Tesla is VERY UNLIKELY to make it accross Geoffrey Moore's "chasm".
Darryl, turn off the light after you left!

Thanks for your vote of confidence...

I would echo Malcolm's advice above. The nature of a startup is continuous change, so you can expect that to keep happening. The reality is usually a lot more boring than the conspiracy.

 

[manofmight]

Thanks for your vote of confidence...

I would echo Malcolm's advice above. The nature of a startup is continuous change, so you can expect that to keep happening. The reality is usually a lot more boring than the conspiracy.

Darryl,

You missed my point entirely. No one said anything about conspiracy. What was said is that after the visionaries often come the hacks who run companies to the ground. And there are also that other species: the false founders and false credit takers. Nothing unusual here, happens often. This is born out by startup statistics. :frown:

 

[siry]

Darryl,

You missed my point entirely. No one said anything about conspiracy. What was said is that after the visionaries often come the hacks who run companies to the ground. And there are also that other species: the false founders and false credit takers. Nothing unusual here, happens often. This is born out by startup statistics. :frown:

Hmmm...I was trying self deprecating humor but i guess it didn't work. One of the things Martin taught me was that I need to use emoticons more. Let me try this:

thanks for the vote of confidence

I didn't miss your point, but I also wouldn't validate it. I look around this company and I don't see a lot of corporate hacks. Quite the contrary.

 

[TedK]

Is this getting blown out of proportion? I think so. Just look at the roadster. Despite the unfortunate departure of the early founders, the car is still 99.99% the vehicle they created. IMO that original vision is alive and well in the roadster and I can't wait to get mine. Martin is still a hero of mine, but so is Elon since he backed that original vision with many $$$$. This has been a dream of mine since way before I ever heard of Tesla, and without these people it would not be happening. The oil-free vehicle strikes a deep chord with me and I for one am thankful for all the Tesla people involved, past and present.

p.s. I am not a paid endorser.

Holiday Cheers,
Ted K

 

[WarpedOne]

Darryl, problem is those people who left posted blogs, shared views and opinions etc. "The comunity" got to know them to some degree and trusted them as persons. It would be very nice if some of the "newcommers", especially the new CEO, continued in this tradition otherwise they are painting themselves in a strange light like not sharing the previously expressed opininons. This possibility scares us.

Edit:

David, best luck to you and your wife!

 

[OhmExcited]

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

* Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
* Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
* Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
* Requires excessive admiration.
* Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
* Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
* Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
* Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
* Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

 

[schlumpfy]

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

* Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
* Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
* Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
* Requires excessive admiration.
* Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
* Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
* Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
* Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
* Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

It's really not very nice to imply all these things about Darryl. I would steer clear of making personality judgements.

 

[OhmExcited]

This was not intended to apply to anyone involved in this thread, but is food for thought when examining the big picture. By the way, please make use of the sarcastic smiley faces, insipid as the are.

 

[Kardax]

The departure of Martin Eberhard and David Vespremi is creating a rather large shift in the PR direction of the company. In the past, the company had the look of a young Silicon Valley startup, fronted by bright energetic individuals. Today, it doesn't really have any standout characteristics beyond it's remarkably unique product.

It's clear that this shift is being pushed by the board of directors (perhaps Elon in particular). When you have $60 million in orders waiting to be filled, you certainly need to show a degree of maturity. Still, I have to wonder if there is some way to achieve both--fill the orders, but also keep the excitement... perhaps they expect the cars to provide their own buzz?

-Ryan

 

[Jeff]

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

* Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
* Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
* Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
* Requires excessive admiration.
* Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
* Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
* Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
* Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
* Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

Wait I think I know this person. Hmmmm maybe not.

 

[Jeff]

David I have followed your work at Tesla since the beginning. It is so sad to see you go. I wish the best for you and your family. Tesla is losing touch with me. I will be watching closely. I smell bad news ahead but we shall see. I'm trying so hard to keep positive. It's difficult.

 

[TEG]

Martin-
It sounds like you could pretty much put back together your original team.

I am not sure how you jumped to that conclusion. As far as I know, nearly all of the "original" team is still there, with some notable exceptions.

 

[OhmExcited]

Tesla ousts virtually all employees
PRICEY ROADSTER'S DELIVERY DELAYS LEAD TO THEIR EXIT
Mercury News
Article Launched: 12/20/2007

Dozens of Tesla Motors remaining employees were fired on Thursday. A five-sentence e-mail from the company said the employees had "transitioned" to posting on message boards.

Earlier this month, Tesla name Ze'ev Drori, a Silicon Valley semiconductor veteran, as its new CEO.

"I'm sorry that it came to this and wish it were not so," Tesla Chairman Elon Musk said about the decimation of his payroll in an e-mail to the Mercury News. "It was not a question of personality differences. How could I simply not get along with pretty much everyone? Tesla has operational problems that need to be solved, and if the board thought there was any way that all these people could help, then they would obviously still be here."

"I think people shouldn't read into this and start drawing secondary conclusions by connecting dots that really aren't connected," Darryl Siry, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Service, and now the lead albeit sole and degree-less engineer, told the Mercury. "This is a startup, and there is normally a good deal of change in the staff. In fact, the vast majority of startups outright fail. What's the big deal?"

Siry said that each employee continues to own stock in the company, and that nobody, with the exception of himself and Chairman Musk, are rooting harder for its continued success. "Thursday was a day of emotional goodbyes and tears. It was just a great thing to watch."

:tackywink

 

[TEG]

...that was in bad taste...

 

[malcolm]

These are uncertain times. The bottom line is peoples' livelyhoods.

Sorry Ohm old buddy. Not your best.

 

[malcolm]

Martin & Carolyn, David & Roberta:

The heartache I feel for you only grows worse as I learn of more dedicated, caring people being shown the exit.

Hang on Yanquetino. If you're referring to the Mercury News item, it would appear that it is a spoof. Nothing on their site.

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