When Elon started SpaceX, he looked around at the history, players, and current state of rocket-making and believed it could be done better, faster, cheaper.
He came up with a set of rules that engineers would live by in SpaceX:
- Question every cost.
- Have a maniacal sense of urgency.
- Learn by failing.
- Improvise.
Who the heck was he?
At the time, it seemed arrogant. Maybe even reckless. Sure, NASA, the US military, Lockheed, Boeing, and the throngs of subcontractors were living off an unending faucet of government financing with little incentive to improve, but also, they’d been there and done that. They’d lived through the public successes and failures. They knew what they were talking about.
It takes as long as it takes and costs what it costs. Measure twice, cut once. Safety (including reputation safety) is paramount. Failure is not an option. Slow and steady.
I’ve been in this position — the underling, the newbie, the one without any experience in the field. Who am I to question the wisdom and the knowledge of those who came before?
But just because this is the way its done, and we have very good reasons for doing it this way, doesn’t mean we should keep doing it this way.
That’s true in engineering, and its true in your life.
