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Elon Musk Slept on the Office Couch and Showered at the YMCA

By Elon Musk · Startup Growth · 1 min read

Musk and his brother didn't get an apartment. They rented an office, slept on the couch, and showered at the YMCA. They had one computer — website up during the day, coding at night.

Key Points

If you're starting a company, you need to work super hard — every waking hour
They slept at the office, showered at the YMCA, shared one computer
If someone works 50 hours and you work 100, you get twice as much done in a year

If somebody else is working 50 hours and you're working 100, you'll get twice as much done in the course of a year.

The Office Couch

Musk: When my brother and I were starting our first company, instead of getting an apartment we just rented a small office and we slept on the couch. We showered at the YMCA.

We were so strapped we had just one computer. The website was up during the day and I was coding at night. Seven days a week. All the time.

I briefly had a girlfriend in that period, and in order to be with me she had to sleep in the office.

We slept on the couch. Showered at the YMCA. One computer — website during the day, coding at night.

Every Waking Hour

Musk: Work hard. Every waking hour. That's the thing I would say, particularly if you're starting a company.

If you do the simple math — if somebody else is working 50 hours and you're working 100, you'll get twice as much done in the course of a year as the other company.

If somebody else is working 50 hours and you're working 100, you get twice as much done.