This article looks at Tesla Optimus: what tends to work, what usually fails, and how to start.
What I've Learned From 139 Companies
Across 234 angel investments, including Anthropic, a few patterns in Tesla Optimus come up again and again.
The founders who handle Tesla Optimus well understand that the market doesn't care about your roadmap.
Why Most Approaches Fail
Many common approaches to Tesla Optimus are flawed at the root.
The root cause is usually one of three things:
Copying what big companies do without understanding why they do it. What works for Google doesn't work for a 10-person startup.
Over-engineering the solution when a simple approach would work better. I've seen teams spend six months building something that could have been done in two weeks.
Ignoring the human element. Technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it is where the real challenge lives.
The Framework That Actually Works
Here is a simple framework for evaluating Tesla Optimus. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: most founders overthink this and underspend on execution
This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: simplicity beats complexity every time
Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly
Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies that get Tesla Optimus right treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Investing early in Tesla Optimus can be the difference between raising your next round and running out of runway.
One of my portfolio companies went from struggling to profitable in under a year after they finally got serious about this. The founder told me later that they wished they'd started sooner.
This connects to broader themes around Figure AI, drone AI, humanoid robots that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Final Thoughts
There are no shortcuts in Tesla Optimus, but there are smarter paths.
The strongest teams treat Tesla Optimus as a competitive advantage, not a checkbox. They invest in it early, measure it obsessively, and never stop improving.
If you're just getting started with Tesla Optimus, don't be intimidated. Everyone starts somewhere. The key is to start with the right mindset and the right framework, and then execute like your company depends on it. Because it probably does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
Q:What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
Q:How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?
Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.