I don't care much about twitter or Musk, but this whole affair is fascinating to watch. As a layman, usually when you see these massive changes in ownership structure it's just a precursor to some sort of cannibalization. Think Bane Captial or Microsoft's embrace, extend, extinguish. For whatever reason Musk has decided to take a company filled with useless eaters and turn it back into a functioning machine.
This must be terrifying to watch for some folks, especially if he succeeds in any way. The "tech" industry seems to have the bureaucratic bloat of organizations centuries older. If Musk can successfully rid Twitter of institutionally entrenched deadweight, it's an interesting proof-of-concept for the wider industry. Think what that means if you've got a sweet high-paying gig as a relationship manager. Your whole way of life could be on the line.
One more thought on why Musk would do any of this. I think it's because he can. Money, free speech, politics, etc don't really see that interesting to a guy like Musk. Usually, companies just die slow painful deaths, and twitter was beginning to age badly. True comeback stories are far rarer in business than sports. I think it has more to do with proving a company can be, for the lack a better word, reformed than anything else.
Musk is maybe the biggest conman in the past hundred years. Hyperloop, solar freakin' tiles, autodrive - the list of Theranos-level scams is a mile long.
But sometimes the things work out and that's how he trades on confidence. He says look, this thing worked now believe Boring Company will pay for itself by selling clay bricks...
So Twitter is immensely valuable to somebody like Musk in boosting the P.T. Barnum fools and 'limiting the reach' of the Thunderf00ts. It's no wonder he wants it to work well.
They didn't exist when he claimed they were ready, the one he held up and claimed worked did not, the demo house did not have solar on it. They still haven't made many and it's a huge failure.
Not much different from Theranos in terms of making false claims.
I'll often see people say things like this - or that he's just a PR guy and actually does nothing at his companies - but there are numerous counter-examples and little evidence is ever put forward to dispute them, including from Thunderf00t. The arguments are usually along the lines that he hasn't accomplished everything he says he would, or that his timelines aren't as promised. (sometimes that "this isn't new" / "this was invented by someone else")
Hyperloop
I can give you that one, simply because it's not actually an "invention" - it's an old concept. He was just frustrated that nobody had moved forward with the technology in decades. Perhaps there are good reasons for that, but he decided to devise a (largely hypothetical) scale solution and hype it up using that earned confidence so investors would take a second look. He asked other companies like Virgin to build the technology. It's up to them.
solar freakin' tiles
Are being installed on houses and offices around the world?
autodrive
Not an easy problem to solve. Anyone who understands machine-learning knew he was wrong when he was promoting how "soon" it could happen.
Boring Company
The tunnels they have built so far are not very wide, but they do indeed build tunnels and faster than other machines of the same size. Rather boring work. I don't know what else they could do to make it exciting.
sometimes the things work out
Then that isn't a con-man. Maybe a hype-man. Totally different.
I'll often see people say things like this - or that he's just a PR guy and actually does nothing at his companies
You're arguing a strawman. "Just a". I didn't argue that he was solely, entirely one thing or another.
Oh that car that'll drive itself across country with no human on board will happen next year "trust me". He plays on trust and confidence all the time, so fine you say that's not a confidence man then he's a professional fraudster; the solar city trial for one has evidence of him making claims he knew were false - not just mere hype, but materially false.
Hate to let you down, but when you finally get your robot it's not going to be your substitute girlfriend. Or maybe that's all it'll be.
I don't care much about twitter or Musk, but this whole affair is fascinating to watch. As a layman, usually when you see these massive changes in ownership structure it's just a precursor to some sort of cannibalization. Think Bane Captial or Microsoft's embrace, extend, extinguish. For whatever reason Musk has decided to take a company filled with useless eaters and turn it back into a functioning machine.
This must be terrifying to watch for some folks, especially if he succeeds in any way. The "tech" industry seems to have the bureaucratic bloat of organizations centuries older. If Musk can successfully rid Twitter of institutionally entrenched deadweight, it's an interesting proof-of-concept for the wider industry. Think what that means if you've got a sweet high-paying gig as a relationship manager. Your whole way of life could be on the line.
One more thought on why Musk would do any of this. I think it's because he can. Money, free speech, politics, etc don't really see that interesting to a guy like Musk. Usually, companies just die slow painful deaths, and twitter was beginning to age badly. True comeback stories are far rarer in business than sports. I think it has more to do with proving a company can be, for the lack a better word, reformed than anything else.
Well, a takeover followed by a ruthless housecleaning is still a viable route for govt reform too, the means are just a little different.
Musk is maybe the biggest conman in the past hundred years. Hyperloop, solar freakin' tiles, autodrive - the list of Theranos-level scams is a mile long.
But sometimes the things work out and that's how he trades on confidence. He says look, this thing worked now believe Boring Company will pay for itself by selling clay bricks...
So Twitter is immensely valuable to somebody like Musk in boosting the P.T. Barnum fools and 'limiting the reach' of the Thunderf00ts. It's no wonder he wants it to work well.
You unironically watch Thunderf00l. Your opinion is invalid. Take your fedora back to reddit.
I used him as an example of people who Musk would like to suppress since he points out the long litany of Musk frauds. Is he not an example of that?
Never said I watched it, nor unironically.
Musk had nothing to do with solar roadways. He's not even mentioned on their website.
Solar freakin' tiles.
They didn't exist when he claimed they were ready, the one he held up and claimed worked did not, the demo house did not have solar on it. They still haven't made many and it's a huge failure.
Not much different from Theranos in terms of making false claims.
Is this what you're talking about?
You gotta get off the Tunderf00t copium.
I'll often see people say things like this - or that he's just a PR guy and actually does nothing at his companies - but there are numerous counter-examples and little evidence is ever put forward to dispute them, including from Thunderf00t. The arguments are usually along the lines that he hasn't accomplished everything he says he would, or that his timelines aren't as promised. (sometimes that "this isn't new" / "this was invented by someone else")
I can give you that one, simply because it's not actually an "invention" - it's an old concept. He was just frustrated that nobody had moved forward with the technology in decades. Perhaps there are good reasons for that, but he decided to devise a (largely hypothetical) scale solution and hype it up using that earned confidence so investors would take a second look. He asked other companies like Virgin to build the technology. It's up to them.
Are being installed on houses and offices around the world?
Not an easy problem to solve. Anyone who understands machine-learning knew he was wrong when he was promoting how "soon" it could happen.
The tunnels they have built so far are not very wide, but they do indeed build tunnels and faster than other machines of the same size. Rather boring work. I don't know what else they could do to make it exciting.
Then that isn't a con-man. Maybe a hype-man. Totally different.
Literal criminal fraudster.
You're arguing a strawman. "Just a". I didn't argue that he was solely, entirely one thing or another.
Oh that car that'll drive itself across country with no human on board will happen next year "trust me". He plays on trust and confidence all the time, so fine you say that's not a confidence man then he's a professional fraudster; the solar city trial for one has evidence of him making claims he knew were false - not just mere hype, but materially false.
Hate to let you down, but when you finally get your robot it's not going to be your substitute girlfriend. Or maybe that's all it'll be.