The speaker argues that getting a PhD is not the best way to be useful. They suggest that the best way to determine usefulness is by considering the impact of an idea compared to the current state of the art and the number of people it would affect. They emphasize the importance of being useful and making a difference. The speaker also mentions that starting SpaceX was seen as crazy at the time, but their objective was not to achieve the best risk adjusted return.

Sam Altman asked Elon Musk how someone should figure out how they can be most useful.

This is a clip from a longer interview, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnBQmEqBCY0

Do you think people that want to be useful today should get PhDs?

How should someone figure out how they can be most useful?

Whatever this thing is that you're trying to create, what would be the utility delta compared to the current state of the art times how many people it would affect?

So that's why I think having something that makes a big difference but affects a sort of small to moderate number of people is great, as is something that makes even a small difference but affects a vast number of people.

Area under the curve would actually be roughly similar for those 2 things.

So it's actually really about just trying to be useful and matter.

When you're trying to estimate probability of success, so you say this thing will be really useful, good area under the curve, I guess to use the example of SpaceX.

When you made the go decision that you were actually going to do that, this was kind of a very crazy thing at the time.

Yeah, well I'm not sure I have a thing there.

But I kind of agreed with them that it was quite crazy.

Crazy if the objective was to achieve the best risk adjusted return.


Speaker 0: Do you think people that want to be useful today should get PhDs?

Speaker 1: Mostly not.

Speaker 0: So what is the best way to be useful?

Speaker 1: Some yes, but mostly not.

Speaker 0: How should someone figure out how they can be most useful?

Speaker 1: Whatever this thing is that you're trying to create, what would be the utility delta compared to the current state of the art times how many people it would affect? So that's why I think having something that makes a big difference but affects a sort of small to moderate number of people is great, as is something that makes even a small difference but affects a vast number of people. Like the area under the curve. Yeah, exactly. Area under the curve would actually be roughly similar for those 2 things.

So it's actually really about just trying to be useful and matter.

Speaker 0: When you're trying to estimate probability of success, so you say this thing will be really useful, good area under the curve, I guess to use the example of SpaceX. When you made the go decision that you were actually going to do that, this was kind of a very crazy thing at the time.

Speaker 1: Very crazy, for sure. Yeah, well I'm not sure I have a thing there. But I kind of agreed with them that it was quite crazy. Crazy if the objective was to achieve the best risk adjusted return. Starting a rock company is insane.

But that was not my objective.

Speaker 0: You

See all Y Combinator transcripts on Youtube

Elon Musk On How To Be Most Useful