Elon Musk, in addition to being an eccentric billionaire, is a great entrepreneur. We may like his company, Tesla, more or less, but it is undeniable that he is an innovator. And what can entrepreneurs learn from Tesla in terms of digital transformation?
The answer is: many things. Tesla is a disruptive company that has changed the development of the Internet and the world, and it owes it all to Elon Musk, to his commitment to digitalization and to the fact that his ideas never stay on paper. Let's look at 5 lessons we can learn from this genius of digital transformation.
Elon Musk has managed to put Tesla on the front page of innovation thanks to his commitment to digitalization and his ability to think outside the cube, or rather, outside the box. Let's review the 5 lessons Tesla has taught entrepreneurs about digital transformation.
Elon Musk is known for putting dozens of ideas down on paper but, above all, for taking them beyond the paper. We are all afraid to start, but he is not; this is because he has decided to use the strategy of attracting attention to carry out his projects.
With a flamboyant personality, Elon Musk has managed to bring to fruition projects that others would have considered ridiculous, such as his own interplanetary travel program. This is how Elon Musk has landed a million-dollar contract with NASA.
But the most important thing we have to learn from Elon Musk and Tesla is that, when you have an idea, while you are implementing it, you have to start with the next one. In a continuous machine, because it's proven that success in competitive environments has a positive effect on the brain. It's about constant feedback.
It is important to be an ambitious and daring entrepreneur, with ideas that are investments that will be valued over time. Take the risk to go beyond where everyone else is going.
Tesla has become a disruptive company because Elon Musk has encouraged participation and has not been alone in his projects. Not only in terms of peers, but also his audience.
On his social networks, Elon Musk has on more than one occasion asked his followers what Tesla can do to improve the lives of its users. One of these users responded that there were people leaving their cars at charging stations longer than necessary.
Musk listened to this feedback and took it into account to improve his products, and before long Tesla implemented an idle time fee so people wouldn't hog charging stations. The lesson is that you have to listen to your customers, your partners and your peers.
Some brands invest more in marketing and advertising campaigns than in the quality of their projects. Tesla has become a disruptive company by investing in the latter above all else.
When your products and services are of high quality, they advertise themselves. There is no need to sell an idea of a product that speaks for itself, because you don't need to embellish with frills something that you can tell is real.
The trick is to add new features, improve them, listen to users. Don't sell them the idea of quality, but guarantee that they will have a quality product or service.
Differentiation is the key. Entrepreneurship is not a race, but a quest for personal voice in a competitive environment. It is not about being an idea machine, but a human being with enough potential to survive in these environments.
Don't be afraid to crack jokes, use puns and keep your customers entertained as well as informed. If they only wanted to be informed, they would go to a newspaper; if they follow you, it's because they want to interact and listen to a person.
This, moreover, is one of the pillars of emotional marketing. Digital transformation, ironically, has left behind the era of seeking the artificial. Now, people want to follow people. So show them your human side.
Tesla has become what it is because, in addition to pursuing ideas, it has also pursued ideals and defended them tooth and nail. In a landscape where many entrepreneurs laughed at the concept of an electric car and a giant plug, Tesla has turned a deaf ear. The result? A company that has gone down in history.
Elon Musk has always pursued ambitious and improbable projects, risky projects that have always managed to succeed. The key is to trust in yourself, defend your ideals and make others see your dream before you can turn it into reality.
