Jon McNeill, former president of Tesla, stated that Elon Musk's obsession with speed is the key to Tesla's entry into the mass market and also what distinguishes it from other CEO.

McNeil said in the “The Knowledge Project” podcast broadcast on Monday, “What sets Musk apart from others is that many people would say, ‘Oh, we’ll do it next week.’ No, his mindset is to push time schedules to the extreme.”

"He believes that various forms of speed—decision-making speed, the speed at which funds flow within a business, response speed—can create a competitive advantage, because your competitors are likely to act more slowly," he added.

McNeil stated that when he joined Tesla, the company was not yet profitable and was in the process of expanding its stores and charging network, while also preparing to launch the Model 3 – this more affordable electric vehicle later proved to be crucial to Tesla's success.

Elon Musk's obsession with speed is also reflected in his communication style.

"Communication must be concise," said McNeill.

This former Tesla executive recalled that Musk once proposed to run the electric vehicle manufacturer through emails consisting of just three sentences.

For example, the first sentence outlines the problem, the second sentence proposes a solution, and the third sentence explains the next steps, such as applying for the required resources.

McNeil said, "This is indeed the key to communicating with him." He added that this indicates that before approaching Musk, the other party had already carefully considered solutions and the next steps.

Another key point is to inform Musk of the bad news as soon as possible, so that there is a chance to address the issue before it worsens.

“He says this to everyone, because bad news only gets worse over time,” McNeill said. “The way you upset him is by keeping bad news hidden.”