Elon Musk’s Top 10 Most Influential Presentations

If one has to draw comparisons between Tesla chief Elon Musk and Marvel Comics heartthrob Tony Stark, chances are they will come up with an endless list. And why wouldn’t they? The 49-year-old technology entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist, who recently joined the league of centibillionares, might as well just push a button on his watch and turn into an iron suit-clad man in front of an arena full of tech business representatives and customers.

 

While as much as the Silicon Valley has magnetized towards all that Elon Musk has to offer, his growing net worth has come from a personality and competitive skill that only few have been able to accomplish as CEOs or investors of startups and corporations alike.

 

However, if there is a product or company that Musk has gotten behind, it has done more than just adding value to the customer or offering a futuristic service. It has catapulted the thoughts of ordinary humans into those of extraordinary beings capable of doing more without putting in much effort.

 

And how has the world been introduced to these revolutionary products? With a presentation by Musk, of course! Keeping up with the trend of product unveil that tech giants leverage to grow their audience, Elon Musk has offered the future to the people with a giant thought-provoking presentation regarding every milestone he has been able to achieve (or create). For instance, the recipe to bring Tesla to life (and to over 400 billion dollar market valuation recently) has taken grit, passion, and (obviously) Elon Musk himself uncovering the wonders that the company was able to create with an inspiring presentation.

 

Notably, however, if one observes Elon Musk as he stands on the stage and rolls out another fascinating marvel using just his words, they would find his presenting style to be something that public speaking gurus might feel at odds with. And yet the occasional and eventual stutter just does not seem to fade Musk’s presentation at all. Instead, it is something that builds up his presentation quotient to an evocative level, something that implores the audience want to have a piece of what is on the shelf of Musk Inc. We break down 10 such presentations and Elon Musk’s USP in each of them in this blog.

 

Top 10 presentations with which Elon Musk made a mark

 

1. Neuralink

We are starting off with a bang. Imagine an amalgam of artificial intelligence (AI) and humans. If this seemed like a scene from a sci-fi movie to you, then you may be in for a surprise. With Neuralink, a system of 4x4mm microchips installed into a human brain to carry out neural and limbic functions on machines, Elon Musk gives us the option to merge with AI as per our choice. In fact, the idea behind developing Neuralink is to provide a third layer of super-intelligence that is not hindered by the use of thumbs on the device screens.

 

 

Working with the basic principles of neuroscience, Musk has come up with a digital synapse as happens between the neurons in our brains for any type of functionality. In the presentation for the launch of Neuralink, Musk explains how the interspersed communication between neural entities can be tapped using microscopic electrodes that are fitted into the microchip.

 

Not only that, Neuralink aims to address brain and spinal cord issues by helping neurosurgeons collect data from the microchips, an aspect that tends to enable differently-abled people to move and heal with their minds in a literal sense. In fact, in the recent development at Neuralink, developers have been able to graph neural signals using a coin-sized chip in a pig’s brain. Making waves sure comes easy when coupled with a presentation like that.

Presentation USP: He gives the audience a show

A prominent theme in Elon Musk’s presentation for something as ambitious as Neuralink is starting with something eye-catching, mostly a video. For Neuralink, for instance, the presentation spans how the product will enable an interface of the machine and the mind with recurrent moving shots of doctors and engineers. The video then shows how something as basic as a synapse in the brain forms the foundation of the product. As for Musk, the presenting begins in his own style for an audience that has been gripped by what is offered by that teaser video.

 

2. Tesla Energy

If solar is the future of our energy needs, this presentation by Elon Musk cements the fact that there will be a paradigm shift in the way we utilize sunlight. Musk explains with Tesla’s Powerwall will harness the energy from sun rays and transform our needs to have sources of energy generation. In fact, with Powerwall, Tesla has projected to take the United States of America to a zero-carbon electricity situation. And that too by using nothing but rooftops of homes.

 

 

Musk explains how fossil fuel energy makes a detrimental impact and how solar power, a completely harmless and non-polluting source of energy, stays underutilized. That is what Tesla Power is about. Area-wise too, the Powerwall makes it possible to achieve that transition by using batteries over a piece of land the size of a pixel as compared to the area of the entire United States. As the presentation moves ahead, Musk explains how it is a scalable solution for energy needs in remote inaccessible areas. Not having electricity lines and being able to run an entire house on solar power? Quite an ingenious feat!

Presentation USP: He keeps the humor quotient intact (without overdoing it)

Not that Musk did not give the audience the show they came for, he actually blew their mind away by showing the Tesla Powerwall in action. In fact, he wows the audience with the fact that the entire building where the presentation was being conducted was running on solar energy after all. The highlight of the presentation, however, stays that he engages the audience with the occasional humor or a chuckle while keeping the minds hooked about the product.

 

Notice in the video how he just calls the sun a “handy fusion reactor in sky” and elicits laughter from the attendees. The USP here is that he makes the audience feel comfortable and, thus, inclined towards actually listening what he has to say. Something to take a note of while charming the audience in your next pitch meeting.

 

3. Tesla Cybertruck 

Tesla’s innovation drive has stayed unparalleled over the years. Battery-powered automotives of the future have been calling out to potential customers and investors of the company from time to time. Another presentation by Elon Musk, which has made an impact in the minds of these stakeholders, features the super-rugged Tesla Cybertruck. With this presentation Musk has given us a kaleidoscope to view the otherwise ordinary objects with a technologically advanced angle.

 

 

In the presentation, Musk elucidates how the Cybertruck is the more futuristic take on the run-of-the-mill trucks that run on fossil fuels. Tesla has manufactured the Cybertruck in single, double and tri-motor configuration for flexible performance and power. Aesthetically, it looks something straight out of a Transformers movie. The vehicle also boasts of cold-rolled stainless steel and Tesla Armor glass, while the bulletproof body (capable of taking quite the beating of a sledgehammer and a 9mm bullet) along with the demonstration fired up the audience to shout “Take my money”, “I love it” and so on and so forth. Besides the truck, Elon Musk also took the opportunity to showcase another hi-tech means of electric transport — an ATV meant as an off-road bike which can be loaded to the back of the Cybertruck via a built-in ramp.

Presentation USP: He bounces back well

Coming to the most talked about aspect of this presentation, one thing that set the world (and the internet) on fire was when a demonstrator on the stage was asked by Musk to throw metal balls at the glass windows of the Cybertruck. The demonstrator did and the glass broke, though the ball did not go through. The demonstrator tried it on the rear window. Same results!

 

Even though just minutes before Musk had demonstrated how tough the Tesla Armor is through an experiment using the metal ball from above, here’s where his unique ability as a presenter came through. “May be that was a little too hard,” said Musk with chuckles from the audience. And then he says, “We’ll fix it in post.” More laughter! Here one can learn to tide over mistakes and not let it bother you. When Musk says tough, he means it.

 

4. Tesla Semi Truck 

With every product that Elon Musk has fathomed, almost every industry, especially the electric vehicles industry, has benefitted from it tremendously. With mass transportation and smart logistics gaining traction, Tesla has also tapped into the potential of electric vehicles for goods transportation with the Tesla Semi truck. During the presentation, Musk elaborates how the beast is capable of giving traditional diesel engine trucks a run for their money. Designed like a bullet to achieve low drag coefficient, the Tesla Semi is capable of achieving 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5 seconds without the load.

 

 

Musk also explains how the truck offers the driver a racecar experience with just a single gear and spacious interior. He also threw light on how Tesla megachargers, with solar energy as the primary source, can get the vehicle charged while you take a break from your journey. Musk also highlighted how the truck is capable of safety positioning, avoiding jackknifing and alerting emergency services when needed, something that truckers and manufacturers take interest in alike.

Presentation USP: He lets visuals speak for the data

No doubt, the Tesla Semi is a reflection of the genius of Elon Musk. The presentation, however, also puts a spotlight on how the PayPal founder lays emphasis on representing data with mind probing animations. For instance, he offers the audience a perspective of how good the Tesla Semi is by using an animated model going up a speed bar against a diesel truck. Though he also uses humor to highlight how painfully slow the diesel vehicle is, he enables the audience to retain the 0-60mph bit with a visual. Another bite of perspective is when he pitted the Cybertruck against a Porsche 911 in a race. He builds upon a quality of the product with a good visual. And he knows how to do it well.

 

5. SpaceX Starship 

Speaking of doing things well, Elon Musk has gone bigger and better with every product launch presentation he has ever given. SpaceX, a rocket and spacecraft manufacturing company of which Musk is the founder, had built the Starship, a spacecraft that is aimed at taking humans among the stars and making them “glad to be alive”. The presentation shows what it is like to usher into the future where space travel is like air travel. You just grab your cargo and stuff and make a round-trip to the Moon or Mars, all in that magnificent spacecraft.

 

 

And of course, how did Musk capture that magnificence? Outside in the open on a huge airbase for rocket launch, of course! Aligned with the magnitude of Elon Musk’s vision of space exploration, the presentation also includes a display on the Falcon 1 rocket that was able to get launched successfully, paving the way for interplanetary travel.  More so, Musk explains how one can travel 25 times the speed of sound with the help of the space vehicle and feel just the acceleration during the commute.

Presentation USP: He believes in the product

If one looks at the presentation from a public speaker’s point of view, they will find Musk using a lot of filler words for describing what he has conceived as humans’ gateway to Mars. But all that is outweighed by the fact that no matter the size of the product that he is presenting, Musk knows what goes where inside out. He stays focused on keeping the audience engaged with the right amount of data to make it credible, no matter how ambitious.

 

In fact, the SpaceX Starship mission, Musk has said, is moving at a good progress rate, barring the delay in schedule for test flights. During the presentation, Musk also gives audience a video demo of how the Starship fires up while later juxtaposing it with another space vehicle called Starhopper. The whole process so mesmerizing that the audience jeers and claps. And yes, that will soon be the sound for man starting a new life on Mars too.

 

6. Powerwall 2 

Another one of Elon Musk’s most influential presentations is the Powerwall 2 unveil. Just like the Starship presentation, this one also takes place on a very apt location — a house yard with the sun shining before dusk. But in fact, this house has the Tesla solar roof that powers the Powerwall 2 integrated with the house. Musk shows how the house nearby has roofing of slate glass tiles as part of the solar roof. He also shows another house with the modern smooth glass tile that goes from transparent to opaque as the viewing angle changes. A similar effect is demonstrated on a Tuscan glass tile.

 

 

With the Powerwall 2, Musk offers a three-part solution with an appealing solar roof, combined with storage and electric cars. In fact, the Tesla product combined with solar roof gives the audience a glimpse into a more affordable and durable roofing solution. And Musk shows the attendees each type of roof tile and how it looks at a certain angle. The presentation is also about how the Tesla Powerwall 2 is integrated with the solar roof and enables running the house on affordable solar power.

Presentation USP: He knows his audience     

The reason why an Elon Musk presentation is able to leave an impact is because he crafts and delivers the presentation with his audience in mind. With Powerwall 2 unveil, the PayPal founder taps into the more pressing matter for the humankind — air pollution. Basically, he knows that the audience is gravitating towards Tesla for a renewable energy solution. So he brings the problem out front by giving the figure about record CO2 levels of that time. Of course, he substantiates that this is majorly because of fossil fuel energy generation. But he also brings out the reason why the Powerwall 2 is the solution, a level up from the predecessor Powerwall. Musk taps into the potential of a good demonstration too and shows the houses running on the solar energy through the Powerwall 2. Showing things in action gets the audience fired up about the product. In fact, it offers them a mindset for a cleaner and more sustainable future. How inspiring is that!

 

7. Tesla Model 3 

For Tesla, the drive to become bigger and better has come through years of perseverance and keen observation of consumer needs. In the Tesla Model 3 unveil, Elon Musk has leveraged the power of 3D animations to trace the progress that the company has made with each electric vehicle. Starting from the automotive wonder Roadster, Musk talks about various performance and cost aspects of the vehicle, moves on to Model S with superior features, and then onto Model X. He displayed them at the arena to get the audience on board with the journey of electric vehicles at Tesla.

 

 

“Can you fit a 7-foot-long surfboard inside the Tesla Model 3? The answer is, yes, you can!” says Musk as he elaborates how the vehicle is spacious enough to fit five people inside. He also builds up on how one will be able to go where they want to go with the help of superchargers and destination chargers. “If there is electricity, you will be able to charge your car,” Musk avers. Thereafter, he also elucidates how Tesla will work on producing half a million cars a year by becoming the largest manufacturer of the most advanced Lithium ion cells and batteries.

Presentation USP:  He isn’t trying to sell

As any presenter with a product pitch would swear by, Elon Musk also makes it a point to appeal to the senses and not try to sell his product. In fact, he just lists the benefits of his product from the customer’s point of view. How is it better? How is it cheaper? Why will it work for the average American who wants to plan his/her spending on a car that runs on electricity? What is the future scope of the product?

 

When Musk spreads out these benefits in front of his audience, they automatically get the audience hooked because it is from their point of view, not from a sales pitch point of view. In fact, it was within 24 hours before this presentation that Tesla had got around 115,000 orders for the Model 3. The audience has in fact turned into a potential customer just by the way he presented the product. And all that is bound to rise in the future too, thanks to Elon Musk serving perspective.

 

8. The Boring Company presentation

We have all been on the receiving end of troublesome traffic jam. And that hassle is only going to increase in the future. But who has come up with the solution to that persistent problem? Elon Musk, of course. His company, The Boring Company, has been developing tunneling solutions to provide futuristic underground transport services that will be put in place with the least disturbance to the existing infrastructure. In fact, Musk has unveiled this concept to show how the company’s work of digging and tunneling is economically viable and ergonomically superior to the traditional mode of tunneling, which, Musk says, is “as slow as a snail”.

 

 

Along with improving tunneling methods, Musk believes they can triple the output of boring machines into making a three-dimensional transport network. Besides, the company also aims to introduce hyperloops for commutes as fast as 200kmph. Even better is the production aspect of the system wherein the dug up material can be used to make bricks, a better alternative to the large scale concrete production in the world.

Presentation USP: He keeps it fresh and unique (every time)

As disruptive as The Boring Company’s ambition may seem, Elon Musk has addressed the worsening issue of billion dollar productivity loss due to traffic delays with his concept. In fact, a 1.2 mile-long test tunnel from the SpaceX office in Los Angeles has been in place for a long time. So something that brings down 900 million dollar per mile tunneling process to just 10 million or even lower had to be presented in a unique way. And Elon Musk does just that. He launched the presentation at the mouth of such a tunnel driving his Tesla vehicle. Even with every product launch, he has brought out something different, giving the people that want for more. He did the same with this presentation, and did it in style once again.

 

9. Tesla Model Y 

Speaking of doing things in style, Elon Musk has captured the pulse of tech and automotive enthusiasts across the globe with product unveil presentation. Each presentation has been about the next big thing in technology and the way we live our lives on earth. And sure, Tesla Model Y presentation shows it all. Musk has taken the opportunity to graph the trajectory of Tesla vehicles by bringing out the various models developed over the years to the stage one by one. And before Model Y unveil, the Tesla Model S, X, 3, and original and new generation Roadsters are driven to the stage amid loud cheers from the attendees.

 

 

A spectacular video precedes the unveil on the huge screen with which Musk explains how Tesla added value to the next generation electric vehicles with Model Y. Musk shines the light on how this model has functionality of an SUV and ride like a sports car. Emphasizing safety features being the priority of such vehicles, Musk elaborates the standard autopilot, 7 seat capacity, 0-60mph pickup in 3.5 seconds, and a panoramic glass roof. He ends the presentation by inviting the audience to come up to the stage and check out the car for themselves.

Presentation USP:  He presents shift in criticism as an impact

As someone who has enabled humans to have digital dreams beyond this planet, Elon Musk has faced quite the media scan, criticism and negative opinions as Tesla spread its wings. But in this particular presentation, he has shown the audience how the company had been able to tide over with its persistent and disruptive efforts. The presentation shows media report clippings calling electric cars “an extraordinarily bad idea”, or “a glorified golf car” or even “a waste of space” in 2009 and 2011.

 

However, Musk also mentioned the eventual change in such perception with prominent media houses lauding it with headline pieces like “General Motors is going all electric” or “Volkswagen is betting its future on electric cars”. With this, Musk was able to show that if one can dream big, he can make an impact, a common theme that runs through every presentation that the SpaceX chief delivers.

 

10. Caltech commencement speech

This one may not be about bringing a bedazzling car onto a platform. Rather this one is about what resources and ideas went into pioneering companies like Paypal, SpaceX and Tesla when Elon Musk was getting his formative education. While delivering the speech at the 118^th commencement ceremony of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2012, the Zip2 founder puts together the pieces of the magic that is technology, and how young minds can make that magic happen for the 21^st century. He also implores the graduates to build a prototype before starting off with a company. Watch the inspiring speech here:

 

Presentation USP: No matter the platform, he is (and stays) himself

What makes this presentation worth mentioning as an influential one is that it gives us a glimpse into the beginnings of a brilliant mind and how ideas can run the world of future. As from a public speaking point of view, one will find that he is not pretending to be someone. Rather he is being himself and connecting with the graduates on that personal and heart-to-heart level. He also does not shy away from cracking jokes about himself and his “crazy” ideas, and thus, stays connected with the attendees, making them want to listen with intent and passion.

 

So in conclusion, one can see how Elon Musk is imperfectly perfect while giving a presentation. But it’s the passion and perspective with which he introduces us to mind-boggling products that makes us equate him to Iron Man. And who knows, he might even be! We will just have to hold our breaths until then.