Elon Musk became the world's richest man thanks to these 12 principles; let's learn from them (Collector's Edition) This book is called *The Musk Principles*, and at the end it includes a list of "69 core principles." These are selected from the experiences of Musk and several companies, condensed into aphorisms by the author. Sixty-nine principles seem a bit many. I've chosen 12 from them; let's learn from the motto of this world's richest man. First, find the right direction. 1. Your abilities are far greater than you think. In reality, most people's IQs aren't that different; no one is significantly smarter than anyone else. With similar abilities, why do people achieve such vastly different levels of success? Many people have the ability, but they simply don't dare to try. The book says that most people waste their potential simply because they don't dare to start. Find something you always feel "I can't do," and do it for three days first; the sky won't fall. Old Ma (this is another "Horse") also said that you should still have dreams; what if they come true? Haha, right? 2. You can learn anything you want on your own. Elon Musk himself is self-taught. He believes that acquiring information through reading is much faster than listening to people talk. Moreover, there's now the invincible AI that knows everything. And much of it is free, so just ask away. Choose a field you've always wanted to study, buy two recognized classic books in that field, and you're guaranteed to gain something from reading them. 3. A useful life is worth living. This is a quote from him. "My standard for measuring success in life is: how much I can accomplish that is useful to humanity?" (According to *The Musk Principle*) He provides an algorithm for what is useful. Multiply the number of people you've helped and the average amount of help you've given each person by those two numbers; that's the total energy of your work. Frequently ask yourself if most of the time you spend now is helping others. Because only by helping others do you receive corresponding value in return. 4. First, assume you're wrong, then work to minimize mistakes. Wishful thinking is the number one source of errors. Humans are naturally inclined to want things to go according to their expectations, often filtering out crucial information. Next time, before making a judgment, force yourself to think: "Where am I most likely to go wrong?" This small question significantly reduces your chances of making a mistake. 5. Take responsibility yourself. It's comfortable to push things away, but you'll never learn. Only those who dare to take responsibility achieve the greatest growth. Next time you mess things up, analyze your own responsibility first, then bravely take it on. You'll find that you not only grow, but you also gain the respect of your colleagues. 6. Reasoning should start from basic principles, not follow the crowd. This is Jack Ma's famous "first principles"—though he didn't invent it, it played a huge role in popularizing it. "That's always been the case," "Nobody's ever done it this way before"—these phrases sound reassuring, but they're actually lazy. To judge a choice, first ask: What are the underlying facts of this matter? Does my solution violate them? When faced with a decision that "everyone does it this way," ask, "Why is it absolutely necessary to do it this way?" 7. After starting, be prepared to question your assumptions at any time and adjust according to reality. Plans are meant to be revised, not just executed. Because no plan is perfect, expectations and reality can sometimes be vastly different. Always learn to set a review point for your tasks; at that point, look back and if it's not working, revise immediately. 8. Deleting is harder than adding. There's a principle in the book, roughly: Use as few parts as possible, skip as many steps as possible. This isn't just about saving money; sometimes discovering a redundant step can greatly improve efficiency. Try this in your own business. Identify which steps are retained simply out of habit, and try removing one. 9. Go to the front lines; don't stand idly by. Watching others do it and doing it yourself are completely different experiences. Musk said, "Get as close as possible to the source of the problem." Inamori Kazuo also emphasized this, saying, "There's a divine presence on the ground," elevating on-site work to a religious level. This is relatively easy to do if you're not lazy, but the results can sometimes be surprising. Especially for small to medium-sized business owners, there's a tendency to work in isolation and remotely direct operations. Finally, adjust your mindset. 10. Face your fears and move forward resolutely. He once said, "The fear of failure is the biggest cause of failure." "If something is important, we shouldn't be afraid to do it because of the possibility of failure." (According to *The Musk Principle*) Write down what you fear most and calculate its true cost. In most cases, you'll find that the worst outcome is simply starting over, which isn't a big deal. 11. Do what you truly love and accept the hardships along the way. Many people chase trends to make money, completely ignoring their own interests. If you lack inner passion, you won't last. Passion won't make entrepreneurship comfortable, but it will make you willing to sacrifice time and effort. When choosing a field for your future startup, ask yourself: Even if it doesn't succeed in the end, will I accept it? If so, then go all out. 12. Treat life like a game with levels. This is for all of us who are entrepreneurs. When life is tough, change your perspective. You're not being tortured by life; you're passing levels. The reward for each level is your ticket to the next. I myself have started many businesses, with both successes and failures. When things are tough, using this mindset of overcoming challenges to step back and feel better will make things much easier. Each point seems simple, but simple things are often the most efficient. If you can achieve 70% of these, your success will be considerable.