Why Elon Musk's Vision is Timely

Why Elon Musk's Vision is Timely

There is something about Elon Musk that captures the imagination of the technology world and the general public alike. Electronic cars, automated fleets that can earn you money while you work? Solar panels galore! The colonization of Mars? 

Ten years ago that would have all sounded straight out of a sci-fi film. But things have changed, and with the exponential pace of disruptive technologies, younger Millennials and GenZ will have to relate to a different world, far removed from the one their parents grew up in.

What's more, Elon Musk's crazy plans for Tesla may not be so crazy

When I read the original Masterplan document released recently, I was struck by the simplicity and the vision of scale and convergence of Elon's vision. 

A trait shared by the fastest growing and most disruptive companies in history — Google, Amazon, Uber, AirBnb, and eBay—is that they aren’t focused on selling products, they are building platforms.

Who can dispute that alternative energy, electronic cars and even automated factories aren't ultimately good for society? There's no doubt that the future is better and we have to do what we can to support the momentum of the future that can transform humanity: 

Prices of solar panels have been falling at more than 10 percent a year for the past 40 years and their cost is now justified without government subsidies.

Elon Musk is someone (the rare futurist) who understands how quickly things move in the 2020s not to mention the 2030s. His vision of being on Mars soon, is not impossible, but profitable, on so many levels.

If pushing humanity forwards is what makes a visionary, Elon has already done so much more than Steve Jobs; the only other disruptive force that comes close is Amazon and Google, who both look like sure bets to lead the future trends in tech. 

In the end, the Wall-Street Silicon Valley divide, does not matter. Only the future really matters, and the people who understand this and can see great trends and work relentlessly for our descendents understand fully the pace and intricacy of the current decade, this fundamentally gestational period of 2015 to 2025, that in many ways lays the foundations for the next century of technological development and sustainable living. 

Remember, we may not always live in a world where human agency trumps the influence of artificial intelligence. Elon's Musk wants to unite Tesla and SolarCity, but that's only the beginning.

The city of the future will be a cleaner place thanks to fleets of automated vehicles no matters who owns or runs them, it's all just inevitable now. Elon Musk's 7 steps of his masterplan are interesting, but simply a precursor to the future. 

We all have to become Futurists

In a disruptive world where we haven't yet even started the true pace of exponential technological change, we all have to become futurists, be able to spot trends, predict the pace of change in our industries and how they influence our ecosystems: economic, technological, digital, consumer driven and of course its impact upon the planet and the future of civilization. 

This is why it matters to follow what SpaceX and people who have financial resources and a fleet of companies that all work towards a common vision. The ultimate corporate social responsibility is not just local, but global. That's why Elon Musk is so important. 

We have to learn how to see corporations like PayPal or Tesla as stepping stones to the future. The players will change, but the future is exponential. What a Google, Amazon, Facebook or Tesla does now, can shape humanity for decades to come. 

Anish Kumar Bhanja

Senior Product Cost Manager - R&D Retail at Diebold Nixdorf

8 年

It was a great experience reading your article.... But what bothers me most is the lack of initiatives taken by the Governments of developing countries to actually grab this opportunity and use it as a nitro booster towards their progress.... It is clearly evident that with the amount of negativity which surrounds the rise of Elon Musk, a bit of help will be of great help to everyone.... Automated production facilities can become a challenge for the developing countries. But I think that man power can be utilised for better purposes and can also be used as a scope for developing skilled labour....

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Aldrin Alejandria

I help retailers get more from their store architecture. 20+ years crafting impactful retail experiences for corporate brands, SMEs & independent startups | Store Development + Service Design

8 年

"We all have to become futurists." Preach! Not enough of us share this sentiment but your call out is so important in navigating solutions of today. Futurist Michael Spencer to me is the most intriguing Michael Spencer. Thanks for the post.

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J. Carl. Herbst

Clerk of works at kCe.. jHb

8 年

Elon for pres...

Beth Pattee

Cofounding Partner InPickleball Inc.

8 年

The statement that encapsulates the formula for future growth is simply the one that suggests we build platforms rather than just sell products. Elon Musk is my kind of pioneer.

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