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Every entrepreneur dreams of building a billion-dollar company, but according to Elon Musk, most of them are focusing on the wrong things.
“Advice I'd give to people starting companies, to entrepreneurs in general, is really focus on making a product that your customers love," Musk says.
Photo: Bloomberg
The harsh reality is that most businesses don’t fail because of bad marketing, lack of funding, or competition. They fail because they create a product that is just okay. And okay is not good enough. If customers don’t love what you’re selling, they won’t tell their friends, they won’t come back, and eventually, your company will fade into obscurity.
"It's so rare that you can buy a product and you love the product when you bought it.”
Musk’s philosophy is simple: Make something so good that customers actually want you to succeed. If people genuinely want you to win, your business has an undeniable advantage. Let’s look at how this principle has played out in real life.
How Tesla Turned Skeptics into Superfans
Back in the early 2000s, electric cars were a joke. Slow, ugly, and barely able to travel 100 miles without dying. No one was begging for an electric vehicle, and the industry was convinced that EVs would never replace gasoline cars.
Then along came Tesla.
Musk wasn’t interested in making an electric car that was just as good as a gas-powered one—he wanted to make something so incredible that customers would refuse to go back. The first Tesla Roadster could go from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds. It was sleek, futuristic, and had a range of over 200 miles—unheard of at the time.
The result? Tesla’s early customers weren’t just buyers; they became evangelists. They told their friends, wrote glowing reviews, and fought for Tesla when critics and competitors doubted them. They wanted Tesla to win because they loved the product so much.
“If you get it such that your customers want you to succeed, then you probably will”
And he was right—Tesla is now the most valuable car company in the world.
What Happens When Companies Forget the Customer
Now, let’s look at what happens when companies don’t focus on making something great.
Remember BlackBerry? In the early 2000s, BlackBerry dominated the smartphone market. It had a physical keyboard, secure email, and was the go-to device for professionals. But when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, BlackBerry made a fatal mistake: they ignored the customer experience.
Instead of innovating, they stubbornly stuck to their outdated keyboard design, while Apple created a device that felt like magic to use. Customers loved the iPhone’s touchscreen, App Store, and sleek design. Within a few years, BlackBerry was irrelevant.
This is exactly what Musk warns against—companies getting distracted by things that don’t matter instead of focusing on delighting their customers.
The Secret Formula for Creating a Beloved Product
So, how do you make something that customers don’t just like, but love? Musk’s philosophy can be broken down into three key steps:
1. Make It 10x Better Than Anything Else
Good is not enough. If you want customers to love your product, it needs to be dramatically better than the alternatives.
Take SpaceX as an example. Before Musk entered the space industry, rocket launches were absurdly expensive, and every rocket was single-use. Musk saw this as a fundamental problem and set out to create reusable rockets, cutting costs by over 90%. Today, SpaceX dominates the space industry, and NASA relies on them for critical missions.
Musk didn’t just make a slightly better rocket—he made something that changed the game entirely.
2. Fix What Frustrates Customers
The best products solve a pain point that customers didn’t even realize was fixable.
Look at Netflix. In the early 2000s, Blockbuster was king. But customers hated late fees, driving to the store, and limited movie selections. Netflix saw the opportunity, eliminated all of these pain points, and made streaming seamless.
Blockbuster ignored customer frustrations. Netflix fixed them. You know how that story ends.
3. Make Every Detail a Delight
Ever noticed how opening a MacBook feels different from opening any other laptop? That’s not an accident. Apple has spent years perfecting every aspect of the user experience, from packaging to how smoothly the screen opens.
Musk applies the same principle at Tesla. Features like “Dog Mode” (which keeps the AC running and displays a message letting passersby know your pet is safe) aren’t necessary—but they make customers love the brand.
Delight isn’t just about big innovations. It’s about small things that make people smile.
The Bottom Line: Do Your Customers Want You to Win?
The difference between companies that thrive and those that fail is simple: Do customers genuinely want them to succeed?
“Make sure if your customers love you, your odds of success are dramatically higher,” Musk says.
If your business creates something people love, they’ll root for you. They’ll tell their friends. They’ll stick with you through ups and downs.
On the other hand, if your product is just okay, none of the marketing tricks in the world will save you.
So, if you’re starting a company—or trying to grow one—forget about everything else for a second and ask yourself:
Are you making something people truly love?
If the answer is no, you know what to do.
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