Let's not ignore the real 800 lbs gorilla in the room:
@DaveT recently came up with this long list of questions about Elon's "methodology" which clearly is NOT how Elon runs his closely held projects. Unless Dave is willing to give up that mindset, he doesn't really stand a good chance of getting to any deeper truths about Tesla (which is what Dave advertises as the basis of his investing method).
Dave: here's some hints:
- Elon is practical (that's why they "fail quickly", fix, and move forward)
- Elon is pragmatic (that's why he "closed all retail stores everywhere", then changed his mind within 4 weeks when he saw the problems)
- Elon is tied to "outcomes", not "methods" (we're going to build a city on Mars, not we're building a carbon-fiber rocket and won't even consider steel because "we only future")
TL;dr Don't try to stuff Elon into your little box; his mind doesn't fit. Maybe pick a specific historical episode which is not well understood, and do a deep dive on it. AND: Give Elon a least 1 night's sleep on the topic BEFORE you ask the question. That'll maximize your chances of getting at the deep answers.
One possible topic for example, "
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH", how it affects Tesla (ie: how to battery scaling to 2TWh/yr), and the outcome for Renewable Energy.
Good luck, and
Cheers!