The Algorithm

Hey everyone,

This is your Sunday Space, where I serve up the best ideas, tools and resources I’ve found each week as we explore the technology shaping the future.

If you find something thought-provoking, forward it to a friend.

IDEAS
The Algorithm

One idea I haven’t stopped thinking about all week is that of Elon Musk’s ‘algorithm.’

The algorithm is Musk’s mantra. It’s a process designed to drive radical efficiency and urgency in operations at Tesla and SpaceX. It has five commandments:

1. Question every requirement, even if it comes from Elon himself. Then, make the requirement less dumb.

2. Delete any part or process you can. You may have to add them back later. If you don’t add back at least 10% of them, you didn’t delete enough.

3. Simplify and optimise. This comes after step two. A common mistake is simplifying and optimising a part or process that shouldn’t exist.

4. Accelerate cycle time. Every process can be sped up, but only after following steps one to three. Don’t speed up processes that should have been deleted.

5. Automate. This comes last. One of Musk’s biggest mistakes (he admits) was trying to automate every step of a process prematurely. Instead, he should have waited until all requirements had been questioned and parts and processes had been deleted.

This is pure productivity gold. I wish I could tattoo it onto my brain.

Believe me, the algorithm is not reserved for Tesla, SpaceX and Elon Musk.

Let’s use it to drive our own efficiencies and get shit done twice as fast.

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INSIGHTS
1 Article

Hands-on with Orion, Meta’s first pair of AR glasses

Last week, Meta unveiled its new AR glasses, Orion. The glasses demonstrate the possibility of creating an AR experience in a form factor similar to normal eyewear. They come with a 70-degree field of view, allowing for a more seamless experience than bulky goggles. However, the prototype is still limited by its high $10,000 per unit production cost and two-hour battery life.

Luca’s take: Although they aren’t mass-production ready, the Orion glasses are a teaser of the killer AR/VR glasses we’ve been waiting for for the last decade. And with Meta’s Llama 3.2 getting new vision capabilities (making it the most powerful open-source, multimodal model), Zuck’s glasses might be the AI-powered device that takes us into the metaverse after all.

1 Post

1 Video

THOUGHTS
Quote I’m Pondering

“The only rules are the ones dictated by the laws of physics. Everything else is a recommendation.”

— Elon Musk

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Thanks for reading,

— Luca

P.S. Never underestimate the kids…