Please join me in welcoming two trailblazers to the stage. First, Kiko Donv, the dynamic VP of launch operations at SpaceX, whose leadership has been instrumental in executing flawless rocket launches and pushing the boundaries of space exploration with innovative engineering prowess. And Franz Von Holzhausen, Tesla's chief designer and visionary, renowned for his iconic designs that have transformed the automotive world from the elegant Model 3 to the rugged Cybertruck, driving the electric revolution forward.
So, obviously we're the last talk of the night. So, I want to start with the fun question and maybe the hardest question Optimus will answer all day. So, hey Optimus, who's better at mountain biking? Tom or Stu? Tom Walton. Tough call, but I'd say Tom Walton edges out a bit. He's got that legendary status in the mountain biking world and helped build some epic trails around Bentonville. Stu's no slouch, though, racing competitively and pushing the sport forward. Both are legends. So, for the record, Tom Stu is still here, but Tom left to go mountain biking. So, Stu, you got the credit in my book. So, I appreciate you on that note. We're super excited to be here and to do this. So, I got the chance, we've been working together. Franz, you've been at Tesla for how many years now?
17. I've been at SpaceX for 15 years. But we didn't actually meet for the first time until here at UpSummit last year. Obviously Elon does talks about SpaceX and Tesla. We do talks on SpaceX. We do talks on Tesla. But I came up with this idea like, 'Hey, Franz, why don't we do a combo talk?' and we did it at a different event a couple months ago and it was great but I walked off stage and I'm like, 'Oh my god, we could do that so much better.' So we worked through this content and our intent here was, you know, the companies really have very similar values, right? They're the foundational values that make SpaceX and make Tesla magic and make it special and allow us to innovate in a way that the world's never seen before. So we thought it'd be awesome to share those values with you, speak to examples, talk about some stories, and really walk through our experiences that we've both had.
Yeah. I'm Franz and I've been with Tesla now for 17 years, which is in Tesla life, I think times four, maybe five. SpaceX, it's kind of the same thing, right? I started Tesla design in a tent in the back corner of SpaceX. So our worlds had already started since day one and we lived in SpaceX for several years because we were just stealing our frozen yogurt. For those that have been in the Hawthorne factory, there's a real problem with that. There was definitely a freshman 15 that happened at SpaceX. Indeed. But yeah, we grew a team and we're trying to launch innovative new vehicles, EVs, into a marketplace. You know, if you think of the time frame in 2008, financial crisis was coming, EVs were glorified golf carts and we were setting out to really change that tone and really create sustainability on a broader scale. We launched the first Roadster as a proof of concept. But then Model S was the first design, engineered, manufactured EV manufactured in America and sold worldwide and really became the foundation for Tesla as a company and vehicles from there. And the Model S's that you see driving out here today are essentially the same car that I penned in 2008. So, amazing longevity, I think somewhat iconic in the EV space and really set a tone and allowed us to continue to innovate and create more affordable products, more affordable, environmentally friendly vehicles. We pioneered so many different things in those vehicles, but it's great teamwork that got us there.
Yeah. You know, I would say one thing. People say, 'Oh, do you get free Teslas or do you get a discount on Tesla?' Not the case. I bought my Model X at full price. But we have started to collaborate and the ultimate collab is the photo you guys see in the back. And we haven't gotten there yet, but that's certainly where we're going. There are a lot of exciting things that you maybe don't hear about that you will see at some point with the two companies collaborating. It's usually on the edge of innovation and doing things that people thought were impossible. But you brought up one of the core principles, the core values that I think both companies really share. When someone asks me, 'Hey, what's your favorite part about working at SpaceX?' My answer is always the same. It's the team. The team. The opportunity to work with incredibly hardworking, smart, driven, motivated individuals that truly care about the mission and are ready to sacrifice things outside of work to be able to get the work done is truly one of the greatest honors of my life. I've made some of my best friends. I've been at multiple weddings of people that I've met at SpaceX and I don't think there are many other companies out there that have former SpaceX or former Tesla like Facebook or social groups where people just chat about this experience. It truly is in the DNA of both of our companies, the magic that happens with the people, right? The people.
Yeah, absolutely. And I think there are some companies that are here that are former SpaceX and Tesla employees that have gone on to do even bigger and greater things. And you're right, team is everything. When I started it was an army of one, but then very quickly realized we needed to build a team and expand our capability. In the design world, we wanted to create a vision that was optimistic and futuristic and really make the future feel like the future. And I think that's something that we continue to do and strive to do today as well.
What do you look for? Let's say Franz is hiring, what do you look for in team members and in an individual?
I mean, oddly enough, we have a really small design team. And we do that on purpose. I keep it small because I think when you have a few excellent people, you can achieve so much more than an army of good and the focus is more intense. So I'm looking for people that are obviously onto the mission, live blood, sweat, and tears for the mission. Have a level of talent to think beyond today and into tomorrow, but then also have the engineering prowess behind them. Even as a designer, to really be able to realize their vision. It's one thing to pen something that seems somewhat cool and futuristic, but it's another thing to really understand how to take your vision and bring that to reality. You have to have the basic understanding of good solid engineering principles. Looking for that in designers is hard to find. There are a few rare gems out there and I think we've found a few of them.
Yeah, you know, one thing we say is, how does this individual demonstrate extraordinary capability? What makes them extraordinary? If you're recruiting out of college, it's like, okay, you weren't just on the FSAE team, you won the competition, you won it multiple years in a row. What are those factors that we pick up on that prove to us that this candidate is actually exceptional? This is a room full of entrepreneurs and I think you guys all know this. You don't just hire on technical perfection. You hire on attitude, right? You hire on someone that has the vibes, the flexibility. They're not just going to be a role player. They could be a future leader at this company and they're going to be able to change with the company. That's the other thing about SpaceX and Tesla, you're going to get brought in the door and the company's going to look way different a couple years from now. If that person can't have the flexibility to adapt and handle rapid changes in strategic direction, because as I'm sure this audience is aware, sometimes Franz and I learn about things via X or formerly Twitter.
Oh, okay. Yeah, we got a new job. Okay, got it. Middle of the night, too. Yes, middle of the night.
But these are the sort of things that make up great people. Maybe I'll ask you one more question. If you had just one interview question, what would it be?
What was your biggest failure and how did you overcome it? And I think that really, it's hard for people to think about things that they suck at and then come up with a way to overcome that and get better. It's really enlightening. There have been many interviews where people just can't answer it, either because they can't let their ego get out of the way or they just don't know how to overcome something really challenging. In our world, we're dealing with failure on a daily basis and we have to overcome that and turn it into something successful. In the case of Model S, as a company, if that vehicle doesn't survive, doesn't become successful, people aren't attracted to it, don't want to buy it, then there is no Tesla. It doesn't happen. So figuring out how to overcome failures is probably one of the most interesting responses that I hear.
Yeah. And we like to say you want to keep ego to competency ratio less than one, right? The failure question is a good way to see where is someone's ego relative to their competency. Ego can be like a cancer. In our company, there's one ego, right? Yeah.
You also got to be confident, right? You want people to take risks and you can't be shy about that. No risk, no reward.
So the second principle is really first principles, right? Franz, maybe we should ask our friend over here to explain.
