#11 The Cook & The Chef Elon Musks Secret Sauce

In a dynamic conversation, the hosts delve into Tim Urban's extensive blog series on Elon Musk, which they liken to a biography due to its depth. Urban explores Musk's innovative mindset through the metaphor of a chef, who, unlike a cook following recipes, creates from first principles, using raw ingredients to invent new dishes. The hosts emphasize Musk's unique approach to problem-solving and decision-making, contrasting it with conventional thinking. They highlight Musk's ability to disrupt industries by questioning the status quo and building his ventures, such as SpaceX and Tesla, from the ground up based on fundamental truths rather than existing models. The discussion also touches on Musk's readiness to adjust his strategies with new information and his disregard for dogma, which they argue is a lesson in independent thinking and the power of self-taught knowledge.

• The podcast format deviates from the usual by discussing a book-length blog post instead of a biography.
• The post is by Tim Urban about Elon Musk and his companies, specifically focusing on the fourth part titled "The Cook and the Chef: Musk's Secret Sauce."
• The host shares insights and learnings from the post.

"So this week's to be a little different, too." "And today I want to talk about the fourth part of that series called the cook and the chef Musk's Elon Musk's secret sauce."

The quotes explain the unique approach of this week's podcast, highlighting the discussion of Tim Urban's blog post about Elon Musk, which is compared to the length and depth of a book.

• The metaphor distinguishes between conventional thinkers (cooks) and innovative thinkers (chefs).
• Chefs are equated to trailblazers who create from first principles, while cooks follow existing recipes.
• Tim Urban uses this metaphor to explain Elon Musk's unique approach to thinking and problem-solving.

"The difference between the way Elon thinks and the way most people think is kind of like the difference between a cook and a chef." "The chef reasons from first principles. And for the chef, the first principles are raw, edible ingredients."

These quotes introduce the central metaphor of the blog post, comparing Elon Musk's innovative thinking to a chef who creates new recipes from first principles, as opposed to a cook who follows existing ones.

• Conventional wisdom is often followed without questioning, which is reasoning by analogy.
• Elon Musk is known for reasoning by first principles, questioning the status quo, and creating new possibilities.
• The podcast draws attention to the importance of independent thinking in innovation.

"Elon Musk calls the cook's way of thinking reasoning by analogy, as opposed to reasoning by first principles."

The quote highlights the distinction between two types of reasoning: analogy (following established norms) and first principles (breaking down problems to their fundamental elements), emphasizing Musk's preference for the latter.

• Elon Musk is recognized for revolutionizing several industries and not conforming to the norm of retiring after achieving wealth.
• His risk-taking and dedication to projects that could potentially fail are seen as exceptional.
• The podcast emphasizes the rarity and significance of Musk's actions in the entrepreneurial world.

"The dude is a steel bending industrial giant in America in a time when there aren't supposed to be steel bending industrial giants in America, igniting revolutions in huge old industries that aren't supposed to be revolution."

This quote captures the essence of Elon Musk's impact on traditional industries and his role as a modern industrial giant challenging the status quo.

• Biographies of influential figures can provide valuable lessons and insights.
• Tim Urban expresses how studying Elon Musk has changed his personal perspective and decision-making.
• The podcast endorses the idea that learning from others' experiences is beneficial for personal growth.

"Those people know something the rest of us don't, and we can learn something valuable from them." "Mulling this over has legitimately affected the way I think about my life, my future, and the choices I make."

These quotes emphasize the value of learning from the biographies of influential people like Elon Musk, suggesting that their experiences can have a profound effect on how we view and make decisions in our own lives.

• The podcast "Exist Before" focuses on biographies of founders.
• It highlights the influence of media consumption on our lives, suggesting we choose what we consume carefully.
• The discussion transitions into a section titled "hardware and software," which seems to be a metaphor for human capabilities and thought processes.

"Exist before, which is a podcast just about biographies of founders." "So we should choose those carefully. So let's jump into this section he calls hardware and software."

The quotes introduce the podcast's focus on founders' biographies and segue into a discussion about the importance of being selective with media consumption, leading to a metaphorical discussion about human cognition.

• Elon Musk's manner of speaking is described as "Musk speak," which translates everyday experiences into literal, technical terms.
• Examples are given contrasting how a typical person might express a fear of the dark, a desire to spend time with growing children, or the wish to have time for dating, against Musk's analytical and literal interpretations of these common sentiments.

"Elon's version of that when I was a little kid, I was really scared of the dark. But then I came to understand dark just means the absence of photons in the visible wavelength 400 to 700 nm."

This quote exemplifies Musk's logical and scientific perspective on a common fear, showcasing his tendency to interpret emotions and experiences through a technical lens.

• The podcast compares the human brain to a computer, with hardware representing our innate abilities and software symbolizing our knowledge and thought patterns.
• This analogy emphasizes the importance of understanding the difference between innate talents (hardware) and acquired knowledge (software) in decision-making processes.
• The discussion implies that while people often focus on innate intelligence, it's the acquired knowledge and thinking methods that are crucial for effectiveness.

"At its simplest definition, a computer is an object that can store and process data, which the brain certainly is."

This quote highlights the core of the human-computer analogy, emphasizing that the brain functions similarly to a computer by storing and processing information.

• The podcast discusses Elon Musk's decision-making process, which is based on "reasoning from first principles."
• Musk's approach involves breaking down problems into fundamental truths and building up from there, rather than relying on conventions or past experiences.
• This method allows him to continually adjust his conclusions with new information and make decisions aligned with his goals.

"You have to build up the reasoning from the ground up, from the first principles."

The quote is a direct instruction from Musk on his approach to problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of foundational reasoning over traditional thinking.

• Musk's strategy for causing change involves directing various forms of personal power towards an objective.
• He contrasts the roles of engineers and scientists, suggesting that engineering is essential for advancing civilization by addressing the limiting factors of data acquisition.
• Musk values engineering over pure scientific discovery because it provides the necessary data to advance knowledge and progress.

"The limiting factor, if you will, is the engineering. And if you want to advance civilization, you must address the limiting factor."

This quote from Musk underlines his belief that engineering is the key to overcoming obstacles that hinder progress, as it enables the acquisition of new data critical for advancements.

• The podcast recounts Musk's early career, including his decision to drop out of a PhD program to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
• Musk's software-driven decision-making led him to create and sell Zip2, then X.com, which evolved into PayPal and was sold to eBay for a substantial profit.
• The narrative emphasizes Musk's unconventional choices, driven by his unique vision and understanding of what is possible.

"He trusted his software. So he made a macro change. He dropped out."

This quote illustrates Musk's confidence in his own decision-making process, leading him to make significant life changes based on his internal reasoning and goals.

• Musk's desire to contribute to humanity's future led him to focus on space travel and the aerospace industry.
• He applied his first principles thinking to explore the possibilities within the aerospace industry, challenging conventional wisdom.
• The podcast suggests that Musk's vision and approach to problem-solving have consistently pushed the boundaries of what is considered achievable.

"Having reflected on things, doing another Internet thing wasn't really in the box anymore. What was in there was his still burning desire to help the future of humanity."

The quote encapsulates Musk's shift in focus from internet-based ventures to his passion for improving space travel as a means to secure humanity's future, reflecting his long-term vision and priorities.

• Formal education is likened to a method of downloading information into the brain.
• The process of formal education is characterized as a slow method of information acquisition.
• The alternative to formal education is self-directed learning through reading, meeting people, and asking questions.

"Formal education as just another way to download information into your brain, and then the part where it says a painfully slow download is a direct quote from Elon."

This quote emphasizes the perception of formal education as an inefficient method of information transfer compared to self-directed learning, which is implied to be more efficient and tailored to the individual's pace and interests.

• Conventional wisdom often discourages endeavors perceived as high-risk or unprecedented.
• Elon Musk's philosophy is to pursue important endeavors regardless of the odds.
• Musk challenged the assumption that rockets must be inherently expensive by breaking down their material costs and exploring more efficient manufacturing methods.
• The approach of reasoning from first principles involves questioning assumptions and basing conclusions on fundamental truths.

"When something is important enough, you do it, even if the odds are not in your favor."

This quote illustrates Musk's attitude toward risk and the importance of pursuing goals that are meaningful, even when success is not guaranteed according to conventional standards.

"Historically, all rockets have been expensive. So therefore in the future, all rockets will be expensive. But actually, that's not true."

Musk rejects the conventional wisdom that past trends must dictate future realities, instead choosing to analyze the problem from its basic components to find a more cost-effective solution.

• The cook follows established recipes without questioning why they are set up that way.
• The chef, on the other hand, explores the fundamental components of a dish and considers novel ways of combining them.
• The analogy extends to reasoning and decision-making, with the chef representing someone who thinks independently and from first principles.

"The cook would have looked at that and said, oh, rockets are expensive, they'll always be expensive."

This quote contrasts the cook's acceptance of the status quo with the chef's inquisitive mindset that challenges existing norms.

"Is there a way that I can buck conventional wisdom and actually come up?"

The chef's mindset is about actively seeking to understand and potentially overturn conventional wisdom if it does not hold up to scrutiny.

• Musk views the brain as a computer and its thought processes as software that can be optimized.
• Unlike commercial software, there is no industry dedicated to optimizing brain software, so Musk takes it upon himself to refine his cognitive processes.
• Constant self-improvement and critical thinking are seen as keys to Musk's success across multiple industries.

"Your entire life runs on the software in your head. Why wouldn't you obsess over optimizing it?"

This quote underscores the importance of introspection and self-improvement, as the "software" in our heads determines our perceptions, decisions, and actions.

• Dogma is presented as a set of unchallenged rules that may be outdated or illogical.
• First principles reasoning involves critical thinking and adaptation to change, as opposed to blindly following dogma.
• Those who do not develop their reasoning skills may default to living according to dogma, which may not align with their true interests or abilities.

"Dogma doesn't know you or care about you and is often completely wrong for you."

This quote highlights the impersonal and potentially harmful nature of dogma when it is followed without critical examination.

• The concept of a reasoning industry encompasses the decision-making processes of individuals.
• Life decisions can be seen as compositions in an album, with the critical question being whether these decisions are original creations or mere imitations of others.
• Independence in reasoning is valued over intelligence and creativity for its potential to lead to unique and impactful outcomes.

"Every time we make a decision, your current life, with all its facets and complexity is like a reasoning industry album."

This metaphor likens life's decisions to a music album, suggesting that the quality and originality of our "songs" (decisions) are a result of our reasoning processes.

• Recognizing one's own ignorance is the first step toward becoming a "chef" in the context of reasoning and decision-making.
• The process of becoming a chef involves questioning assumptions, seeking to understand the fundamental components of problems, and developing independent solutions.

"Epiphany number one, you don't know shit."

This blunt statement serves as a reminder that acknowledging one's own lack of knowledge is a necessary precursor to learning and growth.

• Critics often heavily criticize the ideas of founders and entrepreneurs, which can be discouraging.
• Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, was told he wasn't cut out for retail, yet he became the most successful retailer.
• Stephen Hawking's quote highlights the danger of the illusion of knowledge over ignorance.
• The "lab mentality" begins with acknowledging one's own ignorance and building knowledge from there.
• Prominent scientists like Isaac Newton, Richard Feynman, and Niels Bohr expressed their awareness of their own lack of knowledge.
• Elon Musk advises to approach things with the assumption that you're wrong, aiming to be less wrong.

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance. It's the illusion of knowledge." This quote by Stephen Hawking emphasizes the risk of believing you know more than you actually do, which can hinder learning and progress.

"To myself, I am only a child playing on the beach while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me." Isaac Newton's humility in the face of the vast unknown is a reminder that even the most brilliant minds recognize their limited understanding of the world.

"I was born not knowing and had only a little time to change that here and there." Richard Feynman's quote reflects the lifelong journey of learning and the acceptance that one cannot know everything.

"Every sentence I utter must be understood not as an affirmation, but as a question." Niels Bohr's approach to knowledge is to treat statements as questions to explore rather than definitive truths.

"You should take the approach that you're wrong. Your goal is to be less wrong." Elon Musk's philosophy is to continually refine one's understanding and accept that being wrong is part of the process of learning and improvement.

• The story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Andersen illustrates a common human folly: going along with the crowd despite personal doubts.
• The story is used as a metaphor for the inability to question the consensus and the fear of appearing foolish.
• History shows that human nature does not change, and this tendency is ingrained in the human species.
• The story is also a metaphor for the importance of independent thinking and the courage to trust one's own perceptions.

"This doesn't seem right to me, but everyone else says it's right, so it must be right. And I'll just pretend I also think it's right so no one realizes I'm stupid." This quote from the podcast illustrates the internal conflict and social pressure that can lead individuals to conform to the majority's opinion, even when they have doubts.

• Steve Jobs emphasized that the world is not fixed and was created by people no smarter than anyone else.
• Realizing that "no one knows shit" can be empowering and can encourage innovation and change.
• Jobs advised trusting your own observations, even when they contradict the majority.
• The challenge lies in overcoming the respect for conventional wisdom and societal norms.

"When you grow up, you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life." Steve Jobs' quote challenges the notion of accepting the world as it is and encourages people to realize they have the power to shape and change their environment.

• Treating goals as experiments helps in learning new information and improving oneself.
• Elon Musk values negative feedback as it helps in creating an accurate mental model and correcting misconceptions.
• The willingness to admit and learn from mistakes is crucial for progress.

"I'm a huge believer in taking feedback. I'm trying to create a mental model that's accurate, and if I have a wrong view on something, or if there's a nuanced improvement that can be made, I'll say I used to think this one thing that turned out to be wrong. Now, thank goodness, I don't have that wrong belief." Elon Musk's quote reflects his openness to feedback and his commitment to refining his understanding and beliefs based on new information.

• Being trapped in history can hinder innovation and change.
• Fresh perspectives, like those of the United States' forefathers or Musk's companies, allow for reasoning from first principles.
• Steve Jobs saw his firing from Apple as an opportunity to reinvent himself creatively.
• Breaking free from one's past can lead to new periods of creativity and innovation.

"Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life." Steve Jobs' quote reveals how being released from past successes allowed him to explore new creative avenues and reinvent himself.

• It's important to recognize that no one is a perfect chef or cook; everyone has a mix of both traits.
• Self-improvement involves remembering the distinction between a cook (following instructions) and a chef (experimenting and innovating).
• The objectives are to be humble about what we know, confident in what's possible, and unafraid of irrelevant matters.
• The Cook-Chef distinction helps identify when we're relying on established patterns or creating new ones.

"The reality is that we're all a little of both, and where we are on that spectrum varies in 100 ways, depending on the part of life in question, the stage we're in, our evolution, and our mood that day." This quote acknowledges the complexity of human nature and the varying degrees to which we follow established patterns or innovate in different aspects of our lives.

"We have to remember three key objectives, to be humbler about what we know, more confident about what's possible, and less afraid of things that don't matter." These objectives outlined in the podcast provide a framework for personal growth, encouraging a balance between humility, ambition, and focusing on what truly matters.