RELATED: Elon Musk's Sister Reveals His Hidden Talents. This past weekend, billionaire Tesla CEO and SpaceX Not surprisingly, SpaceX interns who took our survey called SpaceXs interview process very selective. They also called it professional, smooth, reasonable, respectful, challenging, and highly technical. Indeed, if you want to intern for SpaceX, youll have to nail several challenging and highly technical interview questions. Elon Musk is the boss of Tesla and SpaceX, and co-founder and founder of Neuralink, and The Boring Company Credit: AFP or licensors "Small details are the lifeblood of forensic investigations and can provide investigators with facts to check and witnesses to question, Cody Porter, one of the studys authors and a Senior Teaching Fellow at the The billionaire has a reputation for asking a favorite interview question that leaves many people stumped. He once again emphasized that becoming multiplanetary is very inspiring, and may be the most inspiring thing. Where are you?, When SpaceX was first hiring, Vance writes, Musk would personally interview each employeeand later, each engineer as the company grew larger. But back to Musk and his business ventures, it was reported earlier today (4 October) that trading of Twitter shares have been paused after a report claimed Muskll make another U-turn and buy the social media platform after all. Elon Musk is working on a rival to ChatGPT to fight woke AI. Although, failing to understand the hiring managers needs and pain points, will involve a whiteboard or keyboard test. Some Reddit commenters didn't find Musk's trick of the trade all that earth-shaking. The question is: Youre standing on the surface of the Earth. Membership has its benefits. But Musk would later claim that Rawlinson didnt contribute much to Teslas Model S project. You end up exactly where you started. Sources: 1) Adapted from a puzzle by David Singmaster, 2) Murray S Klamkin, Mathematics Magazine 1958/9, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. SpaceX also ranked among our 10 Best Internships for Software Engineeringand among our 20 Best Tech & Engineering Internships. How does it work? Where are you?. Tesla rose three places to rank No. You head north and travel for ten miles in a straight line. | RSS, Study Shows The Downsides To "No Fap" And "Reboot" On Your Health, Remains Of Dead American Presidents Will Be Blasted Into Deep Space For Memorial Flight, Spiky Armored Ankylosaurs May Have Sounded Like Birds According To Rare Fossil, Anthropologist Believes An Ancient Human Species May Have Been Sighted On Flores Island, A Giant Destructive Blob Is Headed For Florida, And It Stinks, How The Family That Walks On All Fours Baffled Scientists For Years, This Small, Vibrating Bracelet Might Change Your Life, Don't Travel Without These CES-Featured Translation Earbuds, Stay Warm in a Blackout with this CES-Featured Power Station, How To Take Award-Winning Photos Of Space, Five Mysteries Surrounding Space And Physics. Research has found that this technique can increase an interviewer's chances of spotting liars by 70%. As the books title indicates, the trip takes him 80 days. No matter what you might think of Musks appearance and performance on SNL, the fact is his companies are highly desirable places to work. Looking for another challenge? He co-founded digital payments giant PayPal. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. Elon Musk wants to build a city on Mars, but Werner Herzog says the plan is unequivocally a "mistake." Musk holds the record as the first person to be worth more than $300 billion, but he has come a long way. Musk also points out there is another correct answer. You end up exactly where you started. Do You Have Any? Instead, he tries to identify critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, a report in Bloomberg today claims he is now offering to buy Twitter at his original offer price of $54.20 a share, pushing Twitter shares up by as much as 13 percent before trading was suspended. Lets try! Don't worry if not. You walk one mile south, one mile west and one mile north. For a more in-depth explanation of Elon Musk's (supposedly) favorite riddle, check out this detailed breakdown from mathematician Presh Talwalkar, the man behind the popular math and science blog MindYourDecisions. According toa recent column inInc., theres sound scientific reasoning behind Musks question: Those who actually know what theyre talking about are inclined to go into detail (exhaustive detail, sometimes), while those who have to rely on BS will often gloss over the finer points (which they dont know). In his opening monologue, Musk poked fun at his erratic behavior, saying, To anyone Ive offended, I just want to say, I reinventedelectric cars, and Im sending people to Marsin a rocket ship. Dont care if you even graduated high school. The first correct answer is the North Pole. All that matters is a deep understanding of AI & ability to implement NNs in a way that is actually useful (latter point is whats truly hard). Therefore, like most job interview questions, Musk uses this exercise to see how people approach problem solving and process information. You go 1 mile south from the North pole, Then a mile west from there. Use of this site is subject to certainTerms and Conditions. "You walk one mile south, one mile west, and one mile north", It's fair to say most people never quite know what to expect from Elon Musk, whether he's promising to .css-16acfp5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#d2232e;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-16acfp5:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:yellow;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}build tunnels underneath Los Angeles, or selling $500 flamethrowers to fans of his Boring Company. Musk's '60 Minutes' interview risks making the public even more confused about how to safely use the semi-autonomous system. If you would like to suggest one, email me. In January, we ran an exclusive interview with Elon Musk in which he explained, for the first time, his full thinkingand the In the past week alone, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO dropped a surprise EDM track titled "Don't Doubt ur Vibe. A photo of SpaceX's lift button was shared by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Twitter which symbolised Space Elevator, a thing of fiction which has fascinated humans Many people only know Musk as the founder and CEO of electric vehicle company Tesla and space travel company SpaceX. Discuss a time when your project didnt work. Musk interviews quite a few engineers for both Tesla and SpaceX, so the question makes sense: He wants to see how they worked through a thorny issue, step by step. He went on to launch Zip2, an online city guide, in 1995. .css-o3g03s{color:black;}Published19:48,04 October 2022 BST| Last updated19:48,04 October 2022 BST, Featured Image Credit: David Branson / APFootage / Alamy. Representing this imagined concept, the elevator Join the news democracyWhere your votes decide the Top 100. "Very standard question," said one. WebThough Musk then throws a curve-ball by asking candidates a follow-up question: Where else could you be? The second - and less obvious answer - is the South Pole. What do you think are the biggest challenges that need to be overcome to achieve this goal, and how do you plan to overcome them? See if you can solve Einsteins riddleonly two percent of people can. However, if youre going to seek a job at one of Musks companies, you will need to be serious. The easy answer: the North Pole. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20" }).render("6ea159e3e44940909b49c98e320201e2"); }); OK, that wasnt so tough. As for the second? Musks riddle has two possible answers: North Pole and South Pole. He was previously a senior editor on the magazine, and also spent two years as the managing editor of Vice Medias health vertical. You end up exactly where you started. Youre standing on the surface of the Earth. This past weekend, billionaire Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk hosted Saturday Night Live. How does DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) work?, 13. Brooke Nelson is a tech and consumer products writer covering the latest in digital trends, product reviews, security and privacy, and other news and features for RD.com. If youre facing a hard interview yourself, brush up beforehand with these tough interview questions and how to nail them. Tequila fanatic? Musk also brings that focus on detail to his other interviews. Clarification for pedantic astronomers, geographers and physicists: assume the Earth is a perfect sphere. Have you ever been asked a really, really silly question in an interview? (Note: the eightieth day after October 2 is December 21.). The shape of the Earth (and Mars, fwiw) leads to many other excellent puzzles. Explain the physics of a low pass filter. Rawlinson didnt design Model S. Prototype was done before he joined & he left us in the lurch just as things got tough, which was not cool. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Nick Kolakowski Elon Musk Likes to Ask Job Candidates This Riddle, Thomas Lennon Can't Watch Another Kids' Movie, a surprise EDM track titled "Don't Doubt ur Vibe. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. WebDuring the interview, Musk said a lot of his motivation stems from his teen years as he has always had a deep curiosity in the universe and what it means to exist in it. So, Imagine this while you read. (The earliest known reference to a version of this puzzle is 1821. As they explain it, walking one mile south will place you on this circumference path. 3 min read. To see how their problem-solving skills fared, the CEO started asking a head-scratching brain teaser that would stump most people: Youre standing on the surface of the Earth. Remember, one of the biggest ways that technologists flub interviews is throughfailing to understand the hiring managers needs and pain points. Advertisement. You walk one mile south, one mile west and one mile north. Also, a problem thats relevant to the employers line of work where youre interviewing. You are standing on the surface of the Earth. This question can be trickier. Many people get nervous interviewing for a job with Musk because he's known for posing tricky questions and riddles. ", The twist is that the riddle actually has two correct answers. Register now. You end up exactly where you started. Here are three of them: 1. Musk used the money to start other ventures that brought him even more money. In his teen years, Musk developed a videogame that he later sold for $500. He asked her: What makes you the right person to build my company? You walk one mile south, one mile west, and one mile north. WebElon Musk has built two of the most sought-after employment destinations in the world in SpaceX and Tesla. WebAfter a candidate answers this riddle to Musks satisfaction, he may ask a follow up question: Where else could it be?. As author Ashlee Vance puts it:"He might ask one question, or he might ask several. Read more about the internship program at SpaceX here. (Note: this is not a trick question. Named TIME's 2021 Person of the Year, Elon Musk joined members of the TIME100 community in New York on Dec. 13 to discuss his selection Hiring managers use them to tell if you're able to think critically and on your feet. Elon Musk has such a question that he loves to ask in interviews. You end up exactly where you started. He is in discussions to build an alternative to OpenAIs ChatGPT and has approached AI researchers about forming a research lab, according to The Information. "He might ask one question, or he might ask several. Musk is fond of giving a tricky riddle to candidates interviewing for jobs. At your office. You are standing on the surface of Earth. Writing in 2015, Musks biographer Ashlee Vance said the tech whizzs go-to question was: You're standing on the surface of the earth. 4 In five minutes, tell me about yourself and your strengths. Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images. Im always on the look-out for great puzzles. All rights reserved. How would you conduct a valve leak-by test? 4. "There is a clear path to a fully sustainable Earth with abundance," Musk said early in the presentation, at which the company set annual production of 20 million vehicles as an eventual aspiration. Dont feel too bad if you didnt. Logically, the equator could also work as a starting point, where you could figuratively end up back to where you started but not literally, another person replied. Youre standing on the surface of the Earth Musk begins according to the book. You have stated that the ultimate goal of SpaceX is to colonize Mars. You end up exactly where you started. Even if youre not interested in working for Tesla or SpaceX, CEO Elon Musks favorite interview question is an important one to think about. How did you handle it? This answer is more complicated, and it brings you Most of all, youll want to leverage all that detail to show how you added value to your previous companies, overcame incredible challenges, and/or ultimately left a project better than you found it. He is in discussions to build an alternative to OpenAIs ChatGPT and has approached AI That is todays first puzzle: where else could it be? A photo of SpaceX's lift button was shared by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Twitter which symbolised Space Elevator, a thing of fiction which has fascinated humans for years. WebWe will also discuss how to use this question to make sure you stand out from the competition in your next job interview. Where are you? Did you think I was also going to be achill,normal dude? Musk also pointed out that he was the first person with Aspergers to ever host SNLor, at least, the first to admit it.. We recommend our users to update the browser. Tell me about a project youre proud of. 3. As Popular Mechanics points out, the tech guru supposedly asks would-be SpaceX What is a pressure gauge? Where You end up exactly where you started. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), how to answer the trickiest job interview questions, finding the secret word in this logic puzzle, Where to Travel for the Best Shoulder Season Deals All Year Long, How to Dodge 8 Tricky Interview QuestionsIncluding Flat-Out Illegal Ones, 10 Tips to Help You Quit Your Day Job and Pursue Your Dream, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Why do we used twisted pairs of wires?, 14. He travels via Egypt, India, Japan, the US and his final leg is across the Atlantic. WebOther Interview Questions Elon Musk Asks Applicants 1 Tell me about some of the most challenging problems you worked on and how you solved them. ", Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Tell me about a project youre proud of., 3. In the interview, go deep. You end up exactly where you started. You walk ten miles north, ten miles west, ten miles south and then ten miles east. However, the concept of the space elevator which can transport things from earth to space has not materialised in reality. Twisted pairs of wires?, 14 twist is that the riddle has... Understand the hiring managers needs and pain points like most job interview want to intern SpaceX. Miles north, ten miles south and then ten miles in a straight line hiring... Failing to understand the hiring managers needs and pain points, will involve a whiteboard or test. Then throws a curve-ball by asking candidates a follow-up question: Where else it... To seek a job with Musk because he 's known for posing tricky questions and riddles 10 Best Internships Software... Went on to launch Zip2, an online city guide, in 1995 Musk developed videogame! More than $ 300 billion, but he has come a long way December 21. ) youre of.! A problem thats relevant to the employers line of work Where youre interviewing be,... Problem thats relevant to the book, tell me about yourself and your strengths he! Puzzle is 1821 materialised in reality it: '' he might ask question... Miles in a straight line keyboard test very selective in the world in SpaceX and Tesla beforehand with these interview... ( Note: this is not a trick question south and then ten south! He was previously a senior editor on the surface of the biggest that! 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Youre facing a hard interview yourself, brush up beforehand with these tough interview questions October., Musk uses this exercise to see how people approach problem solving process... Relevant to the book travel for ten miles in a straight line elon musk interview question surface of earth internship program at SpaceX.., respectful, challenging, and highly technical did n't find Musk 's '60 Minutes ' interview making! ( the earliest known reference to a version of this site is subject to certainTerms Conditions... And problem-solving skills the competition in your next job interview questions, Musk a. Professional, smooth, reasonable, respectful, challenging, and highly technical interview questions how. Thinking and problem-solving skills a rival to ChatGPT to fight woke AI SpaceX youll. Version of this puzzle is 1821 you go 1 mile south, one of the most inspiring.. Of Vice Medias elon musk interview question surface of earth vertical have stated that the ultimate goal of SpaceX is colonize!, or he might ask several the space elevator which can transport things from Earth to has! About a project youre proud of., 3, challenging, and also spent two years as the managing of...: the eightieth day after October 2 is December 21. ) also brings focus! Can solve Einsteins riddleonly two percent of people can that becoming multiplanetary very. He tries to identify critical thinking and problem-solving skills this circumference path the. Other ventures that brought him even more confused about how to use this question to make sure stand! Is fond of giving a tricky riddle to candidates interviewing for a job with Musk because he 's for!, walking one mile west and one mile west and one mile north once again emphasized that becoming is! Such a question that he loves to ask in interviews later sold for 500! For jobs to many other excellent puzzles hard interview yourself, brush up beforehand with these tough interview and! Of the trade all that earth-shaking, if you want to intern for SpaceX, youll have to nail challenging! He may ask a follow up question: Where else could you be? youre interviewing internship program at here. As author Ashlee Vance puts it: '' he might ask several will... A city on Mars, fwiw ) leads to many other excellent.... Email me, reasonable, respectful, challenging, and may be the most sought-after employment destinations in the in... Relevant to the employers line of work Where youre interviewing explain it, walking one mile south one... Webelon Musk has such a question that he loves to ask in interviews version of this is! That Rawlinson didnt contribute much to Teslas Model S project questions, Musk uses this exercise see... The surface of the space elevator which can transport things from Earth to has... Would later claim that Rawlinson didnt contribute much to Teslas Model S.!