Why almost everyone was wrong about Tesla’s cash flow situation
This seems like a good breakdown - but it&#x27;s also that Tesla (like SpaceX) runs really really close to the edge every time they do a product launch. How many people doubted SpaceX until the Falcon 9 flew? How many until the Falcon 9 landed on land? How many until Falcon 9 Heavy launched? How many are still doubting until Falcon  9 completes it&#x27;s first manned mission? How many doubted Tesla until the Roadster shipped? The S, the X? The 3? The low cost 3?<p>It&#x27;s still a startup - but Elon&#x27;s companies move fast and take a toll on everyone.... then one day you look up and rockets are landing on barges, and 60% of world wide lithium battery capacity has been grabbed by Tesla, and Tesla suddenly selling the top sedan by revenue, and the fifth by number of units in the US.<p>Then competitors have to start working and playing like Tesla and SpaceX - the companies have to become more startup like. You can see this in how ArianneSpace and ULA are trying to get to their next generation of vehicles (which won&#x27;t be competitive in terms of re-usability) and by the increasingly hyperbolic VW statements about &quot;delivering a car as good as any Tesla at half the cost&quot; this morning....<p>Tesla and SpaceX have multi-year advantages - they have the super charger networks, they have the only facility capable of cranking out the amount of batteries that electric cars need, reusable rockets, dominating market share over all other luxury cars in the wealthiest market in the world, which happens to show signs of becoming more &quot;European&quot;, as in much larger luxury market segment then there is in the United States..<p>It&#x27;s definitely taken a hit on people&#x27;s sanity - but you suddenly look up, and the competitive grounds have changed dramatically.