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Gmail Creator Paul Buchheit: The Founders Who Build $100B Companies Are Borderline Irrational

By Paul Buchheit · Founder Mindset · 1 min read

Elon Musk plowed his entire fortune into rockets. The first three blew up. They scraped together enough for a fourth. If that hadn't worked, there would be no SpaceX and Elon would be bankrupt. That is insane. And I think wonderful.

Key Points

Hundred-billion-dollar founders share an obsessive, almost irrational focus
Elon had enough money for three rocket launches — all three blew up
That level of irrationality is wonderful — Buchheit would never do it himself

He literally plowed his entire fortune. The first three blew up. If that fourth rocket hadn't gone, there would be no SpaceX and Elon would be bankrupt. That is insane. I think it's wonderful.

Obsessive Focus

Buchheit: The common denominator for founders of hundred-billion-dollar companies — there's this obsessive focus. There's almost an irrationality in some of these founders.

The example that comes up as the most insane version is probably Elon Musk.

There's almost an irrationality in the founders who build hundred-billion-dollar companies.

Three Rockets and No Backup Plan

Buchheit: Elon came into Google, gave a tech talk — I want to say 2003. After he'd started SpaceX but before the first rocket launch. Someone asked — what are you going to do if the rocket explodes?

He's like — well, I have enough money for three launches. So I hope one of them succeeds. He literally plowed his entire fortune.

I have enough money for three launches. I hope one of them succeeds. He plowed his entire fortune.

The First Three Blew Up

Buchheit: The first three did blow up. They managed to scrape together enough money for a fourth rocket. But if that fourth rocket hadn't gone, there would be no SpaceX and Elon would be bankrupt.

That is insane. I would not take all of my money and plow it into some harebrained rocket scheme. That's a level of irrationality that is — I think — wonderful.

If the fourth rocket hadn't worked — no SpaceX, Elon bankrupt. That level of irrationality is wonderful.