We have a strict 'no a-hole policy' at SpaceX. And we fire people they are. I mean, we give them a little bit of warning. But if they continue to be an a-hole, then they're fired.

For my part, I will never give up, and I mean never.

People work better when they know what the goal is and why. It is important that people look forward to coming to work in the morning and enjoy working.

I think life on Earth must be about more than just solving problems... It's got to be something inspiring, even if it is vicarious.

If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day. Otherwise, it’s not.

There's a tremendous bias against taking risks. Everyone is trying to optimize their ass-covering.

One bit of advice: it is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree - make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.