Is Elon Musk a More Disruptive Businessman Than Steve Jobs?
I would say yes, but it feels like a very close competition. Both Elon Musk and Steve Jobs have left a significant mark on the business world, with each one disrupting multiple industries.
Elon Musk: A Lone Revolutionary
Elon has single-handedly disrupted the Oil Gas, Electricity, and Automotive industries with Tesla, and the Aerospace industry with SpaceX. The potential upside of both of these businesses is staggering, with vast opportunities for innovation and growth.
Steve Jobs, on the other hand, significantly disrupted the Computer, Telecommunications, and Music industries with his vision and design. However, unlike Elon, Steve is no longer with us to continue this disruption. Elon's efforts are still in progress, and time will tell whether he will surpass Steve's legacy.
Progress vs. Vision
While Elon's ambitions outstrip Steve Jobs' in terms of scale, he hasn't accomplished enough of them yet to lead in terms of real-world disruption. Give Elon another decade to continue hitting his targets, and Musk will undoubtedly pull it off.
When computers went from strange, specialized machines to everyday tools, that change in expectations revolutionized how the world worked. Steve Jobs was instrumental in making his vision a reality in the 1980s, and it had a profound impact on society. His products not only improved the lives of individuals but also transformed various sectors, significantly enhancing society's capacity to innovate and work.
Making a Difference
Unlike Steve Jobs, who aimed to be the best in the industry, Elon Musk has ambitious grand goals. He wants to save humanity through clean, sustainable energy, provide a new world for living, and ensure cheaper access to space. These goals will fundamentally change how people live in the future.
Apple, while making revolutionary products, never intended to provide goods and services to the masses. Their focus was on creating the best and most efficient products possible, even if it meant limiting the quantity available. There is no plan to make an affordable iPhone for everyone, as the primary goal was to create high-quality devices.
Elon’s approach, however, is different. By providing accessible energy for the world and through the various companies he leads such as SpaceX and Starlink, he aims to offer cheaper basic services to the masses. He believes in a simple economic principle: cheaper, better, and faster products will be bought by the masses. His focus is on the right questions and creating solutions that improve lives, not on profit alone.
The essence of disruption lies not in profit but in addressing the needs and challenges of society. By doing so, he will leave an even greater mark on the world than Steve Jobs did, driven by a profound vision for the future of humanity.