This is Elon Musk’s favorite book. He’s been rereading it for 23 years straight, and it inspired his most famous engineering-first approach. Here are the 7 lessons from “Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down” that made Elon the 1st person worth over $500B:
Elon Musk credits “Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down” for his engineer philosophy & success. Elon taught himself rocket science when he couldn't afford to hire engineers by reading the book. These principles have defined his ventures, strategies, and management styles.
Every concept is grounded in fundamental engineering thinking: - Understanding basic structural principles before complex engineering. - Learning core concepts without mathematical complexity. - Focusing on practical applications. Physics is the unbreakable rule.
1. "If you know the why, you can always figure out the how." ”Structures“ emphasizes first principles—breaking problems down to their core elements. Musk applied this to rocket engineering, reducing SpaceX’s launch costs by 90%.
2. "The simplest solution is often the most elegant—and the most robust." - Complexity increases the chances of failure. - Simplified designs are easier to scale and maintain. Musk’s reusable rocket design & Tesla's minimalist approach follow this idea. Simplicity > Complexity
3. "Structures fail when there's no margin for error." - Small flaws can lead to catastrophic failures - Build backup systems for the unexpected. Musk designs with redundancy in mind. SpaceX rockets have backup systems for almost everything.
4. "A structure must bend, or it will break." - Flexibility helps withstand unexpected forces. - Adaptation ensures survival in changing environments. Musk’s ventures—Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink—thrive because they adapt to changing markets, technologies, and challenges.
5. "Strong structures are built for the future, not just the present." Musk’s long-term vision—like making life multi-planetary—is inspired by the book's focus on enduring structures. His obsession with scalability stems from this principle. Don’t think big. Think forever.
6. "Every collapse reveals the limits—and teaches how to improve." SpaceX lost rockets. Tesla nearly went bankrupt. - Failure is data, not defeat. - Each iteration builds on lessons from the last. Musk uses failure to iterate quickly, a lesson deeply rooted in “Structures”
7. "Every structure tells a story of the people who built it." - Engineering is storytelling. - Beauty shouldn't be sacrificed for functionality. He started "We would make it look nice" approach to projects. Elon knew powerful stories inspire teams and captivate the world.
Elon’s engineering approach isn’t just for creating rockets. It’s his philosophy for everything in life: • Running multiple company • Company operation • Solving problems • Managing time “Structures” wasn’t just a book; it became a blueprint for his mind.
These 7 principles from “Structures” shaped Musk’s career: • Start with first principles. • Simplify to scale. • Build redundancy for safety. • Adapt to survive. • Think long-term. • Fail fast, learn faster. • Inspire through vision. Which resonates with you the most?
“Structure” turned a man with limited resources into the wealthiest man of our time, redefining industries & building a future for humanity. If you enjoyed this thread: 1. Retweet to share these insights. 2. Follow me @WillieChou for more lessons from legendary minds.
