Interesting insight in BI today:
So why does Tesla do this: overpromise and underdeliver?
Because, at this point in the company's history, there's nothing to be gained from underpromising and overdelivering.
Don't get me wrong, Tesla has wildly overdelivered on the product side. It's cars are widely considered, by owners, observers, and the motoring media, to be incredible.
But on the business side, the story has generally been one of missed targets and delayed launches. The Model X, spectacular though it may be, was two years late. There's certainly no guarantee that Tesla next vehicle, the mass-market Model 3, slated to arrive in 2017, will be different. In fact, a betting man might prepare himself for 2018 or 2019.
Ultimately, Tesla is a company constructed out of a vision: change the world. Replace fossil-fuel-powered transportation with clean vehicles. You might be skeptical about this, but trust me — this is what Musk believes. This is what drives him, far more than money. (He's already spent a fortune once and would be happy to do it again.)
Job One at Tesla is to nurture and perpetuate that vision. Musk doesn't want Tesla to grow up to be Ferrari — he wants it to displace the Toyotas and GMs of the world, or at least compel them to join him in transforming the way we get around.
Tesla is a completely different story. You don't change the world without expressing ambitious stretch goals. Ultimately, you don't have much of a story without ambitious stretch goals. So Musk really has no choice but to overpromise, knowing that underdelivering is probable.
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I found this insight profound... I think we can all relax now that we understand. Tesla will overpromise and underdeliver (on production, not product). We may gripe but we love it.
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Why Tesla always overpromises and underdelivers - Business Insider
So why does Tesla do this: overpromise and underdeliver?
Because, at this point in the company's history, there's nothing to be gained from underpromising and overdelivering.
Don't get me wrong, Tesla has wildly overdelivered on the product side. It's cars are widely considered, by owners, observers, and the motoring media, to be incredible.
But on the business side, the story has generally been one of missed targets and delayed launches. The Model X, spectacular though it may be, was two years late. There's certainly no guarantee that Tesla next vehicle, the mass-market Model 3, slated to arrive in 2017, will be different. In fact, a betting man might prepare himself for 2018 or 2019.
Ultimately, Tesla is a company constructed out of a vision: change the world. Replace fossil-fuel-powered transportation with clean vehicles. You might be skeptical about this, but trust me — this is what Musk believes. This is what drives him, far more than money. (He's already spent a fortune once and would be happy to do it again.)
Job One at Tesla is to nurture and perpetuate that vision. Musk doesn't want Tesla to grow up to be Ferrari — he wants it to displace the Toyotas and GMs of the world, or at least compel them to join him in transforming the way we get around.
Tesla is a completely different story. You don't change the world without expressing ambitious stretch goals. Ultimately, you don't have much of a story without ambitious stretch goals. So Musk really has no choice but to overpromise, knowing that underdelivering is probable.
------
I found this insight profound... I think we can all relax now that we understand. Tesla will overpromise and underdeliver (on production, not product). We may gripe but we love it.
------
Why Tesla always overpromises and underdelivers - Business Insider