In a recent interview at the Y Combinator AI Startup School, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared insights into his early career, his time in Washington D.C., and his perspective on the future of artificial intelligence.
Musk revealed that his initial ambition wasn't to start companies, but rather to be involved in the development of the internet. He recounted his attempts to secure a job at Netscape, the company behind the first web browser. He admitted to being too shy to speak to anyone while spending time in the company's lobby.
Despite not intending to start a company, Musk wrote software and eventually launched Zip2, which was acquired by Compaq for $305 million in 1999. He also co-founded PayPal, which was later sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. In the same year, Musk founded SpaceX.
During the interview, Musk also discussed his experience in Washington D.C. with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He described it as an "interesting side quest" but expressed his preference for returning to the "main quest" of building technology. He contrasted the truth-seeking environment of technology with the complexities of politics.
Musk offered advice to AI engineers, urging them to be as useful as possible and to rationalize their ego. He advised them to "do whatever it takes to succeed" and to focus on work rather than glory. He used an analogy to highlight the coming impact of artificial intelligence, comparing it to a 1000-foot tsunami that would overshadow other concerns.