I wouldn’t be much help there. I passionately followed the early production ramp up on the Roadster and kept some track of the changes they were making but don’t have details on how the company was run.
A few observations:
#1: They used a silicon valley tech start up approach to build a disruptive company.
#2: Doing a car start up bordered on absurd and only the VCs with a lot of risk tolerance and trust in Martin’s business plan and Elon’s track record would offer them money.
#3: Between the founders, VCs, private investors and silicon valley engineering talent they could tap into, I think they had a massive amount of brain power to think through obstacles and re-invent processes. (Being able to find and coordinate the right mix of intelligence I think is a key part of their success)
#4: Many lesser companies would have failed many times by now. I think Tesla has had many problems that required creative thinking and fortitude to get through. There is a level of commitment that has required many to go above and beyond to keep them going. Other start-ups have come and gone trying to follow in their footsteps, but without the same ‘will to survive’. they don’t stand a chance of success.
