Last week, Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s Cybertruck, generating millions of comments in response. Touted as “better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car,” individuals and media outlets were quick to reflect.
The announcement got me thinking about creativity and technology and those who are brave enough to lead the way. Being “in the arena”, as Brene Brown so aptly describes in “Dare to Lead“.
On a local Boise news broadcast—a young, confident newscaster relayed the “absolute failure” of the presentation. Only minutes into Musk’s Cybertruck reveal, the lead designer smashed two of the vehicle’s “armor glass” windows onstage with a metal ball.
Over the weekend, I noticed a LinkedIn post from a motor company CEO offering to “donate a truck design” if the team wants to “hit a broader market”. The design has been described as something created with only the polygon tool. Meaning: no curves.
The responses made me laugh. When was the last time these critics created an electric vehicle with acceleration from 0-60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and up to 500 miles of range? When was the last time they were brave and did more than follow the crowd?
Musk continues to blaze a trail while others sit on the sidelines perfecting before they present; pontificating about the car market while doing nothing of value. Instead of criticizing Tesla’s work, why not start creating something?
Sure, creating rather than criticizing requires grit and vulnerability. But, why not? Why not try something new? Why not dare to lead? Present a new idea at a meeting. Test a new market. Invent a new product.
Pointing out “how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better,” is simple. The challenge lies in leading. We all start somewhere. Just start. Design. Ship. Iterate. You might suck at first, but you’ll get better.
