Melissa Stevens, Author at Shortform Books

Learning Through Practice: Does It Drive Innovation?

Does learning through practice drive innovation? Which institutions learn through trial and error and which are too afraid of failure? Learning through practice is one of the main concepts in the book Black Box Thinking. By recognizing which institutions are learning-oriented and which are failure averse, you can explore why some industries improve by building on mistakes. Keep reading to find out why learning through practice drives progress, although only some organizations do it.

What Is Zip2? Elon Musk’s First Business Venture

What is Zip2? How did Zip2 make Elon Musk a millionaire? Zip2 was Elon and Kimbal Musk’s business that they created at the start of the dot com era. The Musk brothers saw a business opportunity that would allow companies to advertise online. After expanding the company with help of venture capital firms, the Musk brothers sold Zip2 for a huge profit. Keep reading to find out what Zip2 is.

Black Box Thinking: Review and Book Context

Are you looking for a Black Box Thinking review? Where did Matthew Syed come up with the concept of “black box thinking”? Black Box Thinking talks about how learning drives progress and why some institutions embrace learning from failure while others don’t. The concept of a black box comes from airlines that use black boxes as in-flight recording systems to track, analyze, and learn from. In this Black Box Thinking review, we’ll cover the author, historical background, and critical reception.

The Elon Musk & PayPal Story: Why He Was Removed

What is the Elon Musk PayPal story? What was Elon’s role in the creation of PayPal and why was he forced to leave? The Elon Musk PayPal story began when Musk started a full-service online bank called X.com. The company later merged with its biggest competitor which later became known as PayPal. However, the PayPal executives weren’t too happy with Musk. Continue reading to learn more about the Elon Musk PayPal story.

How to Create a Learning Management System

The Millionaire Next Door Formula for Net Worth

Do you know how to create a learning management system? Why would you want to create one? Black Box Thinking argues that learning systems help a workplace to advance while a failure-averse system stunts growth. A learning management system is an organizational system that allows people to learn from their mistakes. Keep reading to learn how to create a learning management system in just four steps.

Benefits of Vertical Integration, According to Elon Musk

What are the benefits of vertical integration? How does Elon Musk use vertical integration to run his businesses? The benefits of vertical integration involve improving costs, existing technologies, and efficiency. Elon Musk always uses vertical integration to effectively run his businesses, but there are cons to vertical integration as well. Keep reading to understand the benefits of vertical integration, according to Elon Musk.

These 2 Types of Mistakes Drive Improvement

What are the two types of mistakes? How do they drive improvement for you personally and for an organization? These types of mistakes are inadvertent mistakes and intentional mistakes. Understanding the differences and why you make these mistakes helps you to learn and grow from them. Keep reading to explore these different types of mistakes.

Tesla’s Company History: It Almost Went Bankrupt

What is the Tesla company history? What did the beginning of Tesla look like? What almost brought Tesla to bankruptcy? Tesla was born out of a shared vision for the future and a big investment from Elon Musk. After the first model was built, manufacturing and financing issues quickly followed. In the end, it was a deal from the Department of Energy that saved Tesla and put it on the road to success. Keep reading to learn more about Tesla’s company history.

What Is Rational Thought and When Did It Start?

What is rational thought? Where did the concept of rational thought come from? Black Box Thinking answers the question: what is rational thought? The book talks about rational thought and how the Greeks embraced mistakes as crucial to learning. Before this period, worldwide views came from the gods and weren’t challenged. Keep reading to answer the question: what is rational thought?

Musk Says a Future Mindset Helps the Common Good

What is a future mindset? How does a future mindset help humanity as a whole rather than just the individual? Why does Elon Musk believe so strongly in this concept? A future mindset is when all of your goals and actions are motivated by the future. Elon Musk applies this mindset to just about everything he does. However, that’s not always a good thing. Keep reading to learn more about Elon Musk and his future mindset.