Musk’s Five Commandments

Musk’s five sequential commandments (aka “The Algorithm”) include:

1. Question Every Requirement: Before even the consideration of automation, every requirement should be questioned. Each should have the name of the person who created the requirement, not just the generic “Legal Department” or “HR Department”, but the name of a real person who can be asked “why?”. If a requirement is truly a requirement and has valid purpose, then Musk commands that the requirement be made “less dumb” — made as simple and least complex as possible.
2. Delete Any Part or Process You Can: This ties back to the old process improvement adage that no part of a process should be improved if it can be completely eliminated instead. And eliminating also might mean they have to be added back later. But that’s okay — according to Musk, if you don’t end up adding back later 10% of what you eliminated, you didn’t delete enough.
3. Simplify and Optimize: Do NOT start this step before steps 1 and 2 have been completed! It is never correct to simplify/optimize a step or part if it should not exist at all.
4. Accelerate Cycle Time: Any process can be sped up, but remember to do steps 1–3 before attempting to accelerate a process. A fast process that completes unneeded tasks gains nothing! Don’t speed up tasks that should be deleted.
5. Automate: This is the fifth of five steps for a reason, it comes last by design. Don’t attempt to automate until steps one through four are completed. And do an honest evaluation of whether or not automation is the truly best path to take. Do not automate for the sake of automation. Instead, automate only where it provides improvement.