Elon Musk: Smartest Guy in The World or Complete Clown?

[Mani_UT]

I can't claim to know how this will turn out. .

Hopefully a massive amount of his wealth will get destroyed.
If we cannot tax billionaire to limit their wealth and associated overreach / unrestricted power, having them self destroy is the second best option.

[J. Barron DeJong]

[boltonoutlaw]

...

[grinch]

Mahbe ill buy it in a couple weeks

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[uglymoney]

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/statu...qED8GYCPA&s=19

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[JimmyCarter]

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/statu...qED8GYCPA&s=19

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That his views on the so called “free speech” topic align more with the far right and libertarians than the left should not surprise anyone. If he was in there saying “you’re right” to someone who said Biden stole the election it would be a bit more concerning.

The rest of it just comes off as a bit salty.

[dunfree]

That his views on the so called “free speech” topic align more with the far right and libertarians than the left should not surprise anyone. If he was in there saying “you’re right” to someone who said Biden stole the election it would be a bit more concerning.

The rest of it just comes off as a bit salty.

us users are ~20% of twitter and ~50% of revenue, going all in on culture grievance war just seems stupid business. Be indifferent and/or alienate a quarter or a sixth of your revenue?

[JimmyCarter]

us users are ~20% of twitter and ~50% of revenue, going all in on culture grievance war just seems stupid business. Be indifferent and/or alienate a quarter or a sixth of your revenue?

I don’t get it, unless it really is just a “what the fuck else am I gonna do with all this money?” lark for him.

That said, I have talked to some of his current investors and they are almost universally True Believers of the Twitter of the future. Typical VC “we’re investing in the people not the current business model” BS, which doesn’t seem to hold together if the plan was to spend $40b just to tear it down to the studs.

[bobz]

I dunno about you guys, but judging by this video, there is a LOT of fat that can be trimmed off that place and they would lose zero productivity. Looks like Twatter employees get to goof off more than actually work. Must be nice.

Oh Montucky, it really is sad what an impressionable cornpoke you are.

I've worked for big tech companies. Yes, the perks are swell. Quite good food, and not the usual institutional cafeteria schlock. Grilled fish, steamed veggies, a nice salad bar, lots of other things. For breakfast, along with usual diner breakfast crap, there was a guy running a veggie juicer. There are snack tables all over the place, which I could have done without (I don't eat energy bars unless I'm doing, minimum, a 3-hour athletic activity). An on-campus gym is pretty standard; I never showed up for a yoga class, but they had those. Most floors had a meditation/ relaxation room. What else was in the video? Oh yeah, there was a game room or two, foosball etc; I'm not sure if I ever used that crap even once. Google and FB have free bicycles lying around for employees to use to go between the different office complexes.

But guess what... they expect you to work, too. And it's (at least intermittently) pretty high pressure. Top companies do this because they need to attract and hold top talent. Also, with a lot of these companies, having a whole suite of lifestyle perks is bundled in with an expectation that nearly your whole lifestyle should happen on the company grounds.

[bobz]

As for Elon... Not to say he isn't a complete clown, but I'm going to give him just a smidgen of benefit of the doubt about the blue check-mark kerfuffle. Hitting up the celebrities and journalists and politicians for (now) $8 per month doesn't seem like such a hardship, as professional expenses go. A lot of people are assuming that the check-mark can be purchased by any troll impersonating someone else, and it's not at all clear that that's the case. If someone whose real name is Dick Whipper wants a check-mark, my assumption is that he can get a check-mark, but only if his account name matches his credit card name; in other words, he can get a check-mark for a Dick Whipper account, not for a Nancy Pelosi account.

[dunfree]

As for Elon... Not to say he isn't a complete clown, but I'm going to give him just a smidgen of benefit of the doubt about the blue check-mark kerfuffle. Hitting up the celebrities and journalists and politicians for (now) $8 per month doesn't seem like such a hardship, as professional expenses go. A lot of people are assuming that the check-mark can be purchased by any troll impersonating someone else, and it's not at all clear that that's the case. If someone whose real name is Dick Whipper wants a check-mark, my assumption is that he can get a check-mark, but only if his account name matches his credit card name; in other words, he can get a check-mark for a Dick Whipper account, not for a Nancy Pelosi account.

per at least some reporting, it’s exactly the case that blue-check = money paid, no verification, soon. In part per claims because the dumbass thinks trolls/spammers won’t pay $8

anyways Jason calcanis will still eat his turds

[adrenalated]

Woohoo residential Starlink users are now data limited.

Asswipe.

[bobz]

per at least some reporting, it’s exactly the case that blue-check = money paid, no verification, soon. In part per claims because the dumbass thinks trolls/spammers won’t pay $8

Sure, if that's true, and check-mark no longer means verified name, then that's an insanely bad business decision. But it's not about the $8.

Alas, no benefit of the doubt for the assclown posting GQP disinfo about the Pelosi home terrorist. One, sends out a message that the guy taking over the company is a goddamn idiot who believes fantastical nonsense. And two, announces loud and clear that GQP lies, no matter how noxious, are totally welcome now on Twitter. Both of those messages basically say, "advertisers run away right now"; strong work, Elon!

[neckdeep]

Ha. Just sayin', when your first instincts are to threaten nervous brand managers with a "thermonuclear name and shame" counter-boycot and you impulsively broadcast your revenge threats....chances are pretty good you're a egomaniacal sociopath.

So now free speech according to Elon means "pay me to advertise on my monetized platform or else I'll punish you".

[old goat]

How is the acquisition of twitter different from Yvon's patagonia deal? I mean, they both used their enormous wealth to support a cause they believe in?

You know I never thought of it that way. You're absolutely right.

Hopefully a massive amount of his wealth will get destroyed.
If we cannot tax billionaire to limit their wealth and associated overreach / unrestricted power, having them self destroy is the second best option.

There's my grandfather's option--line them up against a wall and shoot them. Unfortunately for my gf he left Russia before the revolution or he would have had his chance. Instead he was forced to get moderately rich selling bread to the US Army during WWI and then investing in real estate.

[CarlMega]

when your first instincts are to threaten nervous brand managers with a "thermonuclear name and shame" counter-boycot and you impulsively broadcast your revenge threats....chances are pretty good you're a egomaniacal sociopath.

Well said. Consider for a moment this public threat tactic being used by established brands.. that CEO would get trounced. Elon gets a trumpian-pass because he's already regarded as nutty and 'hey, it's the internet, shits weird' but professionals who groom brands for lasting lifetimes don't make these 101 mistakes. At the very least, you have insulative spokespersons and dispensable executives doing this shit so you can hedge and assign blame if shit goes sideways. Or step in & take credit after the fact should it go well.

But Elon is a ego maniac so he needs to be the face on everything. Welp, that may work when you get to be the cool guy with wizbang products... but twitter is social media where the content flows rudderlessly. Elon wants to be name you associate with the fertile soils of twitter ideas... but the thing is, way more offensive, shit ideas sprout than good ones. There he is, standing up saying "I did that".

Well metered messaging, healthy objective detachment and a reliable steady hand is how to walk the line and make it attractive to advertisers. Erratic threats? Lolz, no.

[JimmyCarter]

Well said. Consider for a moment this public threat tactic being used by established brands.. that CEO would get trounced. Elon gets a trumpian-pass because he's already regarded as nutty and 'hey, it's the internet, shits weird' but professionals who groom brands for lasting lifetimes don't make these 101 mistakes. At the very least, you have insulative spokespersons and dispensable executives doing this shit so you can hedge and assign blame if shit goes sideways. Or step in & take credit after the fact should it go well.

But Elon is a ego maniac so he needs to be the face on everything. Welp, that may work when you get to be the cool guy with wizbang products... but twitter is social media where the content flows rudderlessly. Elon wants to be name you associate with the fertile soils of twitter ideas... but the thing is, way more offensive, shit ideas sprout than good ones. There he is, standing up saying "I did that".

Well metered messaging, healthy objective detachment and a reliable steady hand is how to walk the line and make it attractive to advertisers. Erratic threats? Lolz, no.

He doesn’t care because his goal for twitter isn’t a pure advertising platform as much as a WeChat-style everything app. Payments/value add and a bunch of other shit you pay for, on top of some advertising revenue.

[CarlMega]

He doesn’t care because his goal for twitter isn’t a pure advertising platform as much as a WeChat-style everything app. Payments/value add and a bunch of other shit you pay for, on top of some advertising revenue.

I'll go out on a limb and say that approach (if that really is his nebulous vision) will not be competitive and will never produce the revenue, no less profits. It certainly doesn't align to the public square free speech nonsense.

[heckacali]

When it tanks, Elon will be screaming about the cancel culture shutting him down instead of the really stupid move of straddling an already money losing company with billions in additional debt/interest payments....

[JimmyCarter]

I'll go out on a limb and say that approach (if that really is his nebulous vision) will not be competitive and will never produce the revenue, no less profits. It certainly doesn't align to the public square free speech nonsense.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/02/arks...super-app.html

[CarlMega]

When it tanks, Elon will be screaming about the cancel culture shutting him down instead of the really stupid move of straddling an already money losing company with billions in additional debt/interest payments....

Probably too much on this today... but, if I was a competitor, activist or a jilted advertiser... I'd be pumping some back channel money into watchdog groups who will amplify since Elon's take over the "N-word" and "hate content" etc is up 500%, 1000% and on & on. Get some good personally told bullying stories in there. Keep that messaging in the news cycle until Elon-Twitter's brand is synonymous racists, vengefully bullies, nazis and lunatics... burden it with associations to 4Chan and scary sounding 'dark web' every time you mention it - never include prestige brands when discussing. Throw in a bizarre working conditions all in the effort to broadcast irredeemable people and messages.

Stand on their neck now because Elon cannot resist taking that bait - he can't deftly backtrack from 'free speech absolutist' even if it means elon-twitter isn't fit for civil exchange.

Eventually the debt, loss revenue, overpaid, business execution mechanics story will further tarnish his personal brand as the guy who just paid & borrowed 44bil for New Coke.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/02/arks...super-app.html

Lemme ask you. Outside of dystopian, track every move of every person from the central authority of China.... does this all in one, place all your bets into a single platform hold appeal to western sensibilities? What is a user benefiting from that consolidation that makes it compelling? Mind you, Elon has to keep the fishes in the twitter ocean while this long plan runs course and he's already polluting it.

[JimmyCarter]

Probably too much on this today... but, if I was a competitor, activist or a jilted advertiser... I'd be pumping some back channel money into watchdog groups who will amplify since Elon's take over the "N-word" and "hate content" etc is up 500%, 1000% and on & on. Get some good personally told bullying stories in there. Keep that messaging in the news cycle until Elon-Twitter's brand is synonymous racists, vengefully bullies, nazis and lunatics... burden it with associations to 4Chan and scary sounding 'dark web' every time you mention it - never include prestige brands when discussing. Throw in a bizarre working conditions all in the effort to broadcast irredeemable people and messages.

Stand on their neck now because Elon cannot resist taking that bait - he can't deftly backtrack from 'free speech absolutist' even if it means elon-twitter isn't fit for civil exchange.

Eventually the debt, loss revenue, overpaid, business execution mechanics story will further tarnish his personal brand as the guy who just paid & borrowed 44bil for New Coke.



Lemme ask you. Outside of dystopian, track every move of every person from the central authority of China.... does this all in one, place all your bets into a single platform hold appeal to western sensibilities? What is a user benefiting from that consolidation that makes it compelling? Mind you, Elon has to keep the fishes in the twitter ocean while this long plan runs course and he's already polluting it.

I think a lot of people like the idea of an all in one app - hell Apple is already doing it to an extent with TV/gaming/payments/etc and seems to be working out for them.

I think there’s a lot of political whining being passed off as business analysis around the whole thing. He bought it and took it private, he’s on the hook for it. Some people think it will be successful and threw money at it. Many seem to not, and that’s fine too. But complaining that it won’t be successful because it’s diverging from the existing model is missing the point.

[4matic]

Debt at $18b might be the liquidation value and with banks holding $12b a bankruptcy would be pretty clean deal down the road.

[CarlMega]

I think a lot of people like the idea of an all in one app

The long term success of this approach remains to be validated. Many a company who tried to venture outside of their expertise has suffered. Diluted their brand and attention and unable to shift & execute with the necessary turn-around because they are monolithic.

I think there’s a lot of political whining being passed off as business analysis around the whole thing. He bought it and took it private, he’s on the hook for it......that it won’t be successful because it’s diverging from the existing model is missing the point

Are we not allowed to have fun here? Elon is a polarizing, weird douche with a shady AF business history. Until recently, he's mostly had favorable press - so the pendulum swings. Oh no, I hope he's ok.

None of us are big fish so the speculation is part of the game. Hell, I've put more of my projections and plans out there than Elon has... he has not articulated his vision or runway. So we guess. For fun.

I think twitter's primary value was 3 fold:

Market & Reach: the existing social media platform's footprint - wide adoption
Accessibility: users were attracted to the lack of friction: no fees, access to people of note, low intrusiveness
Perception: users and advertisers were attracted to twitter being somewhat neutral space deemed respectable & something of a 'soft' social media company and hang out. opportunity to target market without much risk

^now, that's just my take so feel free to chime in if you think there were other value props of note. Tech. Intellectual capital. Innovation. People & organizational.

But, from where I sit, it seems like Elon doesn't actually like what he bought. Further, his conduct/actions are undermining the much of the attraction that brought twitter its respectable marketspace. So what do you have left? But, we'll see.

[4matic]

US is not conducive to the all in one app like China. China infrastructure was a revolutionary change built in the wireless era so everything migrated to that out of convenience and necessity.
US infrastructure is evolutionary with perfectly adequate legacy systems and fragmented adaptation. A single platform is just not going to happen for a very long time. Chip cards aren’t even that old and still being adapted.

One exception could be use of Crypto. Perhaps Twitter could be the one place crypto becomes tenable.