Inc.

Beware the Optimism Trap

Many young firms, including Tesla, struggle with deadlines. You have to get real about setting production schedules.

Elon Musk is a hero to many entrepreneurs, for many reasons—his vision, his audacity, his tenacity. But during Tesla’s annual shareholders meeting, he showed another, less common quality: humility. He acknowledged something that few entrepreneurs, let alone Elon Musk, have been willing to admit: “I think I have an issue with time.”

Pegged back by a series of delays in Model 3 production and pummeled by

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Inc.

Inc.2 min read
Regionals.Inc
We’re a nation of competitors. Always have been—from the sharp-elbowed scramble for land unleashed by the Homestead Act to the improbable televised spectacle that is the American Cornhole League. In business, of course, winning is about revenue. Our
Inc.2 min read
Golden Oldies
1. A Gilded Age progressive capitalist, George Pullman sought to improve the lives of workers, and profit from it. The Pullman Palace Car Company built luxury passenger rail cars and leased them to railroads. He was lauded for hiring Blacks to serve
Inc.2 min read
Proving Product-Market Fit With Preorders
Running a household is a lot like running a business. But office managers don’t use chore charts, so why should a parent be stuck with antiquated tech? That question led friends Nathalie Stratton, Mei-Lin Ng, and Susie Harrison (above, from left) to

Related Books & Audiobooks