Elon Musk's Ultimate Advice for Students & College Grads - HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE
so what advice do I have for college.
graduates certainly I don't want you to.
apply for a job at solar city or Tesla.
or SpaceX and if not then if that.
doesn't work for whatever reason then.
apply to jobs at other companies in that.
arena or try starting a company.
if you study engineering and you figure.
out how to design new things then it's.
relatively easy to start a company you.
just need to get a few like-minded.
people with you although I have to say.
that the space business is quite it's.
quite hard to start a company in space.
business because it's such a capital.
intensive business so it may be better.
to do something in solar power or if.
you're gonna do it in cars do it and as.
kind of a component supplier of cars or.
something like that musk has college.
degrees in business and physics but.
SpaceX is his first venture in aerospace.
how did you get the expertise to be the.
chief technology officer of a rocket.
ship company well I do have a physics.
background that's helpful as the.
foundation and then I read a lot of.
books and talked to a lot of a lot of.
smart people don't just follow the trend.
you may have heard me say that it's good.
to think in terms of the physics.
approach of first principles which is.
rather than reasoning by analogy you.
boil things down to the most fundamental.
truths you can imagine and you reason up.
from there and this is a good way to.
figure out if if something really makes.
sense or if it's just what everybody.
else is doing and it's hard to think.
that way you can't think think that way.
about everything takes a lot of effort.
but if you're trying to do something new.
it's the best way to think and that.
framework was developed but by.
physicists to figure out.
counterintuitive things like quantum.
mechanics so it's really a powerful.
powerful method.
and I want to know what is the one thing.
that is surprised to you about your life.
well I simply I'm surprised about the.
whole thing honestly.
I certainly didn't expect to be to be 20.
of these things to happen honestly yeah.
I just do I know I wanted to be involved.
in technology and in fact the only.
reason I started a company back to 95.
Internet company was because I couldn't.
get it there were only a few internet.
companies they're not gonna get a job at.
any of them now I try to get a job at at.
Netscape and tomorrow's me and I tried.
hanging out in the lobby but I was too.
shy to talk to anyone and it was like.
okay well I guess I'll have to start a.
company cuz I can't get a job anywhere.
[Music].
I wouldn't say I'm fearless.
in fact I I think I fear I feel fear.
quite strongly but I am if the if what.
we're doing isn't you know what I'm.
doing is I think it's important enough.
then I just override the fear so but.
it's not as that I don't feel I feel.
like more stronger than I would like I.
think also people tend to overweight.
risk on a personal level it's one thing.
if you've got you know a mortgage to pay.
and kids to support and that if you were.
to deviate from your job that well how.
you're going to feed your family and pay.
the ransom.
okay that's understandable but let's say.
you're young and we just coming out of.
college or coming out of high school or.
whatever the what are you what are you.
risk.
