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Why Elon Musk Became a Founder

By Elon Musk · Founder Stories · 3 min read

Musk didn't always know he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He first tried to get a job at Netscape. Didn't get a reply. Stood in the lobby too shy to talk to anyone. Then left and started a company.

Key Points

He wasn't sure if inventing things meant starting a company or working for one that made cool stuff
He tried to get a job at Netscape — no reply. Stood in their lobby too shy to talk to anyone.
In college he asked: what would most affect the future? Internet, sustainable energy, making life multiplanetary.

I figure if I start a company and it doesn't work, I can always go back to grad school.

Not Always an Entrepreneur

Musk: I wouldn't say I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do growing up. At one point I thought inventing stuff or creating things would be a cool thing to do. But I wasn't sure if that meant starting a company or working for a company that made cool stuff.

When I first came out to Silicon Valley, it was to do graduate studies at Stanford in applied physics and material science. In '95 I thought the internet would be something that would change the world in a major way. And I wanted to be part of it.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I thought inventing stuff would be cool — but I wasn't sure if that meant starting a company.

Too Shy to Talk to Anyone at Netscape

Musk: What I first tried to do was get a job at Netscape. That didn't work out. I didn't get any reply. I didn't have a computer science degree or several years working at a software company.

I actually tried hanging out in the lobby. But I was too shy to talk to anyone. I was just standing in the lobby — it was pretty embarrassing. I was just standing there trying to see if there was someone I could talk to. And then I was too scared to talk to anyone. So then I left.

I tried hanging out in the Netscape lobby. I was too shy to talk to anyone. So I left.

Start a Company or Go to Stanford

Musk: I was just writing software that summer. I got to the start of the quarter for Stanford and had to make a decision. So I decided to go for deferment. I figured — if I start a company and it doesn't work, I can always go back to grad school.

So I started a company with my brother and a friend of mine, Greg Kouri. The three of us created Zip2.

If I start a company and it doesn't work, I can always go back to grad school.

What Would Most Affect the Future

Musk: This goes back to college, where I was trying to figure out — what are the things that would most affect the future of humanity? The things I thought would most affect the future would be the internet, sustainable energy — both production and consumption — and space exploration, specifically making life multiplanetary.

I didn't expect to be involved in all of those areas. But those are just the areas I thought would most affect the future. As it turned out, I've been fortunate enough to be involved in all of them. That's the thread that connects them — my best guess at what would most likely affect the future in the biggest way.

What would most affect the future of humanity? The internet, sustainable energy, and making life multiplanetary.