So he started assembling a group of the smartest people he could find, and SpaceX was born.

Then the core team of all-stars, which included renowned rocket engineer Tom Mueller, began to hire. Some early SpaceX hiring policies:

• No assholes. Musk says that if you hate your colleagues or boss, you won’t want to come to work and stay for long hours.
• Hire (and promote) based on raw talent, not experience. Musk has said he doesn’t care that much about a grad degree, college degree, or even a high school degree—just raw talent, personality, and passion for the SpaceX mission.

Musk interviews everyone, including janitors, and does so like a weirdo. This rule held with almost no exception through the first eight years of the company’s life, up to the company having 1,000 employees. According to Musk’s biography, “Each employee receives a warning before going to meet with Musk. The interview, he or she is told, could last anywhere from thirty seconds to fifteen minutes. Elon will likely keep on writing e-mails and working during the initial part of the interview and not speak much. Don’t panic. That’s normal. Eventually, he will turn around in his chair to face you. Even then, though, he might not make actual eye contact with you or fully acknowledge your presence. Don’t panic. That’s normal. In due course, he will speak to you.”

Elon Musk: I recommend spending less time on finance, in conference rooms, and on PowerPoint, and more time trying to make your product as amazing as possible.