Elon Musk explains his 5-step algorithm for solving any problem:
"The most common mistake of smart engineers is to optimize a thing that should not exist."
"I have this very basic first principles algorithm that I run as a mantra."
Elon breaks it down:
Step 1: Question the requirements.
"Make the requirements less dumb. The requirements are always dumb to some degree, no matter how smart the person who gave you those requirements. You have to start there, because otherwise you could get the perfect answer to the wrong question."
Step 2: Try to delete it.
"Try to delete the part or the process step entirely. If you're not forced to put back at least 10% of what you delete, you're not deleting enough. Most people feel like they've succeeded if they haven't been forced to put things back in. But actually they haven't, they've been overly conservative and left things in that shouldn't be there."
Step 3: Optimize or simplify.
"The most common mistake of smart engineers is to optimize a thing that should not exist. So you don't optimize until after you've tried to delete."
Step 4: Speed it up.
"Any given thing can be done faster than you think. But you shouldn't speed things up until you've tried to delete it and optimize it otherwise, you're speeding up something that shouldn't exist."
Step 5: Automate.
"And then the fifth thing is to automate it."
Elon explains why the order matters:
"I've gone backwards so many times where I've automated something, sped it up, simplified it, and then deleted it. I got tired of doing that. So that's why I have this mantra."
KAMRA IS REAL.
GOOD ENERGY VS BAD ENERGY IS A THING!
Mitch Marner could be lifting the Stanley Cup tonight.
The Toronto Maple Leafs would have Rantanen, and Leafs fans would LOVE Marner in CAR.
The city of Toronto would have celebrated him bringing the cup home. Just like many Toronto kids have.
The line is that thin....razor thin.
Marner has bad Karma, bad Juju, a negative aura, negative energy whatever it is that people call it.
whatever it is, all I know is that's not good and it bit him in the cup final.
ah well. no more. i'm done. lets name a coach and draft McKenna.
Happy times are here again!
@AustonStachews Everybody is so tired of this kid…
Time to move people!
The irony for him is he turned down his trade to Carolina who whooped his personally chosen team!
Ciao Mitch!
@_InfoGram_ Obama gave billions $$$ for nothing!
If he had been successful then why are we here now with Iran having enough enriched 235 for 11 weapons eh!
When will you get a cure for TDS?
🇨🇦 Canada needs the 🇺🇸 US more than ever right now.
CUSMA at risk. 2M jobs exposed. Zero new trade deals.
Our biggest customer is also our only real ally.
Booing them at a World Cup we’re co-hosting isn’t patriotism.
It’s the most expensive sports moment in Canadian history.
🇨🇦 #CdnPoli #Canada #WorldCup2026
A MASSIVE RESULT FOR CANADA.
Qatar’s Khouki scores in the 95th minute to claim an upset point in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
Everybody tied now and the #CanMNT sit in a real position to challenge for first in Group B and a chance remain in Vancouver.
Canada was quick to take the moral high ground over the U.S. during the referee visa controversy, only to turn around and deny a player a visa as well.
At some point, people need to stop blaming every immigration decision on Donald Trump and start applying a little common sense. Canada has now done the exact same thing.
Oya, here we go again.