Delete, Delete, Delete -- The Critical Technique from "Elon Musk" by Walter Isaacson

Strategies and Techniques for Change Agents, Strategists, and Innovators

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Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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You’re busy. It’s not easy to find the time to read a 670 page biography on arguably “the person of the 21st century”. That’s why I’m here. I’ve done the fun work of reading, synthesizing and summarizing this heavyweight book. Correction — THE critical point of the book.

I’m going to boil this book down to not just one key lesson, but one key word.

Read on…

The Algorithm

By all accounts, Elon Musk is a hands-on problem solver. He has a goal, a mission and typically a target cost structure and critical operational constraints in order to make that mission a reality.

For example, the mission of SpaceX is “making humanity multiplanetary.” To do that, the fundamental cost structure of space travel has to change. The space shuttle was ~$51,000 per kilogram. The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is targeted at less than $1,600 per kilogram. The next generation of SpaceX rockets are targeting $200 per kilogram. This cost model innovation is the critical constraint enabling the mission.

Image Credit¹

How do you get there? The algorithm. Here are the five “easy” steps of Elon’s algorithm:

1. Question Every Requirement

2. Delete and Part or Process

3. Simplify and Optimize

4. Accelerate Cycle Time

5. Automate

In my experience, steps one through four are done in unison and repeatedly, over and over, again and again. Only after getting to bare metal, to only value-added steps, requirements and components, do you apply technology and automation.

BUT… that’s not how most leaders operate. In most situations, steps one through four are done at a cursory and comfortable manner, if at all. Step 5, automate and apply technology, is the favorite. This results in bloat, expense, failed transformations and undifferentiated capabilities.

Musk did the opposite: he made his engineers question all specifications. This would later become step one in a five-point checklist, dubbed “the algorithm,” that became his oft-repeated mantra when developing products. Whenever one of his engineers cited “a requirement” as a reason for doing something, Musk would grill them: Who made that requirement? And answering “The military” or “The legal department” was not good enough. Musk would insist that they know the name of the actual person who made the requirement. “We would talk about how we were going to qualify an engine or certify a fuel tank, and he would ask, ‘Why do we have to do that?’ ” says Tim Buzza, a refugee from Boeing who would become SpaceX’s vice president of launch and testing. “And we would say, ‘There is a military specification that says it’s a requirement.’ And he’d reply, ‘Who wrote that? Why does it make sense?’ ” All requirements should be treated as recommendations, he repeatedly instructed. The only immutable ones were those decreed by the laws of physics.

Isaacson, Walter. Elon Musk (p. 113). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Using this algorithm is going to create at least one major problem. As the book shows time and time again, using this algorithm forces conflict. This conflict does not need to be the acerbic, sarcastic and mean-spirited conflict often demonstrated (allegedly) by many of the innovators who have changed the world — Jobs, Gates, Bezos.

But it’s not only hard to get to simple, but it’s really hard when you might not have the degree of control and influence the founder might have. The conflict demonstrates how hard simplifying, rationalizing, decalcifying and engineering for a different performance level and cost structure is. It does not come easy. Getting to “simple” is “hard” (hmmm — might not be a bad book title...)

DELETE

The word “delete” was used thirty eight times in the book. Deleting steps, requirements, material, complications, variations, specifications, options, levels, layers, costs and cycle time are some of the various components which would get the Elon’s algorithm applied to them.

It went even further than this. The underlying technique is zero-based design, in which every requirement is first deleted, and then only added back when it has been proven as required, often as a slimmed-down version of the original requirement.

The goal of zero-based design is to eliminate clutter and create highly focused, purpose-driven experiences. It is especially useful for reinventing bloated products and legacy systems. The end result is simple, intuitive design centered on real user needs.

Zero-based design is a design philosophy and creative process where no element is essential. It involves starting from a "blank slate" rather than building upon existing design elements or assumptions. The key principles of zero-based design are:

- Question everything - Don't take any element of the existing design for granted. Critically evaluate if each element delivers value.

- Eliminate the unnecessary - Cut anything that doesn't align with core goals or user needs. Remove outdated legacy features, unnecessary complexity, etc.

- Validate through data - Use data, research, and user testing to guide design decisions, not assumptions. Design should solve real user problems.

- Focus on intent - Align design closely with core goals and user intents. Feature bloat detracts from intent.

- Iterate relentlessly - Continuously test and refine the design through an iterative process. Be willing to make changes or start over.

- Prioritize simplicity - Strive for the simplest possible design that solves the problem. Simple is almost always better.

- Form follows function - Design should be a natural result of its functions and goals. Form follows function.²

The edgiest work I do with clients is applying zero-based design techniques to their business. If they are willing to do the hard and uncomfortable work and decisions required, they always have a better product or service, have better customer experience and satisfaction, and have a cost model and competitive differentiation they did not have before.

Your Homework

And there you have it. One word. “DELETE”. Your homework is to consider how applying zero-based design and greatly simplifying your business could be your contribution to your business and differentiate your career.

Onward!

John

About The Digital Leader Newsletter

This is a newsletter for change agents, strategists, and innovators.  The Digital Leader Newsletter is a weekly coaching session focusing on customer-centricity, innovation, and strategy. We deliver practical theory, examples, tools, and techniques to help you build better strategies, better plans, and better solutions — but most of all, to think and communicate better.

John Rossman is a keynote speaker and advisor on leadership and innovation.

Learn more at 

https://johnrossman.com

1. The Visual Capitalist - https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-cost-of-space-flight/

2. Sourced from Claudi.ai