--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And by recruiting hundreds of bright…" description: "\"“And by recruiting hundreds of bright, self-motivated people, SpaceX has maximized the power of the individual. One person putting in a sixteen-hour da..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_and-by-recruiting-hundreds-of-bright-sel_1323835.jpg" --- # And by recruiting hundreds of bright, self-motivated… ![“And by recruiting hundreds of bright, self-motivated people, SpaceX has maximized the power of the individual. One person putting in a sixteen-hour day ends up being much more effective than two people working eight-hour days together.” quote by Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_and-by-recruiting-hundreds-of-bright-sel_1323835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_and-by-recruiting-hundreds-of-bright-sel_1323835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/ashlee-vance-4672_quote_and-by-recruiting-hundreds-of-bright-sel_1323835.jpg) > ““And by recruiting hundreds of bright, self-motivated people, SpaceX has maximized the power of the individual. One person putting in a sixteen-hour day ends up being much more effective than two people working eight-hour days together.”” [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intensive individual effort can outweigh collaborative hours, boosting productivity. **In simple terms:** One person can outwork many. Key Takeaway Leverage focused effort. Themes productivity individualism efficiency Mood analytical pragmatic Type non‑fiction inspirational When to use this quote - career work - entrepreneurship - project management Key Concepts intensive work human potential team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When is solo effort preferable? - How do you prevent burnout from long hours? A Different Perspective May cause burnout or neglect teamwork. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effective People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-people-333213/) [Motivated People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated-people-259808/) [People Spacex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-spacex-4419688/) [Self motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-motivated/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Spacex Maximized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spacex-maximized-4419689/) ## Related quotes > [“Many self-motivated people have far more success in achieving their goals and building their self than many people who rely on others for motivation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeleke-aishat-tashia/many-self-motivated-people-have-far-more-success-in-achieving-their/) [Adeleke Aishat - Tashia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeleke-aishat-tashia/) > [I feel like I was born and bred to stay self-motivated. I'm not one of those people who ho-hums and feels sorry for himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-feel-like-i-was-born-and-bred-to-stay-self-motivated-i-m-not-one-of/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [“One person putting in a sixteen-hour day ends up being much more effective than two people working eight-hour days together. The individual doesn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/one-person-putting-in-a-sixteen-hour-day-ends-up-being-much-more/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [Effective people do two things: they strive to do excellent work, and they prioritize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/effective-people-do-two-things-they-strive-to-do-excellent-work-and/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Laws are important. But they can only be effective if the people know about the particular laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-dirie/laws-are-important-but-they-can-only-be-effective-if-the-people-know/) [Waris Dirie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-dirie/) > [“It’s a short reminder that success can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations we are willing to have, and by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/it-s-a-short-reminder-that-success-can-usually-be-measured-by-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [Highly effective people tend to be proactive. They decide to find a better job or to have better health, rather than of responding to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/highly-effective-people-tend-to-be-proactive-they-decide-to-find-a/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [“Effective people are those who launch directly into their most important tasks and then discipline themselves to work steadily and single-mindedly until those tasks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-april/effective-people-are-those-who-launch-directly-into-their-most/) [Jennifer April](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-april/) > [The 80/20 principle - that 80 percent of result flow from just 20 per cent of the causes - is the one true principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/the-80-20-principle-that-80-percent-of-result-flow-from-just-20-per/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [“Still, organizations are composed of people, and the more effective those people, the stronger the organization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/still-organizations-are-composed-of-people-and-the-more-effective/) [RosettaBooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosettabooks/) > [Effective people are not problem minded; they're opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems. They think preventively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/effective-people-are-not-problem-minded-they-re-opportunity-minded/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [“One of the best places for efficiency is being efficient with things so that you can be effective with people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-perman/one-of-the-best-places-for-efficiency-is-being-efficient-with-things/) [Matt Perman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-perman/) > [I've benefited greatly from studying many effective people from history. Among those who've influenced me the most are Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, and Winston…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-strock/i-ve-benefited-greatly-from-studying-many-effective-people-from/) [James M Strock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-strock/) > [“Bluff ain't effective for people of type-A.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/bluff-ain-t-effective-for-people-of-type-a/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Charm is less effective on people who have good reason to kick your ass ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/charm-is-less-effective-on-people-who-have-good-reason-to-kick-your/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) ## More by Ashlee Vance > [“Thought Leadership “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” Book by Ashlee Vance “Take risks now and do something bold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/thought-leadership-elon-musk-tesla-spacex-and-the-quest-for-a/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“He points out that one of the really tough things is figuring out what questions to ask,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/he-points-out-that-one-of-the-really-tough-things-is-figuring-out/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Musk sits somewhere on the autism spectrum and that he has trouble considering other people’s emotions and caring about their well-being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/musk-sits-somewhere-on-the-autism-spectrum-and-that-he-has-trouble/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“He’s less a CEO chasing riches than a general marshaling troops to secure victory. Where Mark Zuckerberg wants to help you share baby photos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/he-s-less-a-ceo-chasing-riches-than-a-general-marshaling-troops-to/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“sometimes at the Sheraton hotel in Palo Alto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/sometimes-at-the-sheraton-hotel-in-palo-alto/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Throughout these early years, the engineers credited Eberhard with making quick, crisp decisions. Rarely did Tesla get hung up overanalyzing a situation. The company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/throughout-these-early-years-the-engineers-credited-eberhard-with/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“When Musk is present, the chats tend toward the absurd and fantastic”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/when-musk-is-present-the-chats-tend-toward-the-absurd-and-fantastic/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Whereas if they change a rule and something good happens, they don’t even get a reward. So, it’s very asymmetric. It’s then very easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/whereas-if-they-change-a-rule-and-something-good-happens-they-don-t/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“I might have fixed that thing but now I’ve made the person unproductive. It just wasn’t a good way to go about things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/i-might-have-fixed-that-thing-but-now-i-ve-made-the-person/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Like Steve Jobs before him, Musk is able to think up things that consumers did not even know they wanted—the door handles, the giant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/like-steve-jobs-before-him-musk-is-able-to-think-up-things-that/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Musk pulled Justine close while they danced, and informed her, “I am the alpha in this relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/musk-pulled-justine-close-while-they-danced-and-informed-her-i-am-the/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“for Musk, the distinction between stumbling into something and having intent is important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/for-musk-the-distinction-between-stumbling-into-something-and-having/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Well, we will decide we’re going into production and then a miracle is going to happen,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/well-we-will-decide-we-re-going-into-production-and-then-a-miracle-is/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“You don’t tell Elon you can’t do something. That will get you kicked out of the room”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/you-don-t-tell-elon-you-can-t-do-something-that-will-get-you-kicked/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [“Founded in June 2002, Space Exploration Technologies came to life in humble settings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/founded-in-june-2002-space-exploration-technologies-came-to-life-in/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) [Explore all 91 Ashlee Vance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) ## More Self motivated quotes > [Never let adversity deter you from your dream that are really your destination. Keep your self motivated and willingness to take every situation by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/never-let-adversity-deter-you-from-your-dream-that-are-really-your/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [“If you have the right people on the bus, they will be self-motivated. The real question then becomes: How do you manage in such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/if-you-have-the-right-people-on-the-bus-they-will-be-self-motivated/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [“I’m very self-motivated,” she’d state with an assertiveness that she didn’t quite feel in her gut, and the HR guy would look down at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-palmer/i-m-very-self-motivated-she-d-state-with-an-assertiveness-that-she/) [Dexter Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-palmer/) > [I've always been self-motivated, but I can't take a ton of credit for any success I've had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-billingsley/i-ve-always-been-self-motivated-but-i-can-t-take-a-ton-of-credit-for/) [Peter Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-billingsley/) > [Keep your head up.Keep yourself motivated to take any challenge in struggle of life.Believe tomorrow will be better if you can bear hardship today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/keep-your-head-up-keep-yourself-motivated-to-take-any-challenge-in/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [When you want something desperately and you lose it, no matter how hard you try to get yourself motivated, it's always difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/when-you-want-something-desperately-and-you-lose-it-no-matter-how/) [Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/) > [Homeschoolers are the ultimate do-it-yourselfers. They are self-motivated and self-directed, independent-minded and creative. They are not content to turn their education of their children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/homeschoolers-are-the-ultimate-do-it-yourselfers-they-are-self/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [I'm an only child, so I am a very self-motivated and driven person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/i-m-an-only-child-so-i-am-a-very-self-motivated-and-driven-person/) [Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/) > [Some people are just self-motivated - my husband was. I also believe there are many children for whom parental involvement is key.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chua/some-people-are-just-self-motivated-my-husband-was-i-also-believe/) [Amy Chua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chua/) > [I'm self-motivated. I'm motivated for myself to be the best I can be - for me to do that, I have to have my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deshaun-watson/i-m-self-motivated-i-m-motivated-for-myself-to-be-the-best-i-can-be/) [Deshaun Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deshaun-watson/) > [Celebrating your achievements and applauding your triumphs is a sure way to refuel your enthusiasm and keep yourself motivated for your future endeavors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-roopleen/celebrating-your-achievements-and-applauding-your-triumphs-is-a-sure/) [Dr Roopleen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-roopleen/) > [I feel like I was born and bred to stay self-motivated. I'm not one of those people who ho-hums and feels sorry for himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-feel-like-i-was-born-and-bred-to-stay-self-motivated-i-m-not-one-of/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [If you are self-motivated, wow, this world is tailored for you. The boundaries are all gone. But if you're not self-motivated, this world will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/if-you-are-self-motivated-wow-this-world-is-tailored-for-you-the/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Keep yourself motivated. You've got to be motivated, you've got to wake up every day and understand what that day is about; you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cohn/keep-yourself-motivated-you-ve-got-to-be-motivated-you-ve-got-to-wake/) [Gary Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cohn/) > [It wasn't like I was self-motivated. My dad started me. It was his dream before it was mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/it-wasn-t-like-i-was-self-motivated-my-dad-started-me-it-was-his/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) [Browse all 63 Self motivated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-motivated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And by recruiting hundreds of bright, self-motivated people, SpaceX has maximized the power of the individual. 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