1718T2 Silicon Valley/Reflection/Day3

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Reflections

Student Name	Tesla	Twilio
Adeline Jong	Tesla's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy and is fulfilled by selling electric cars. During the tour, it has been constantly emphasised on their high level of quality. For a company to invest in instruments that measure something even smaller than a red blood cell (microns) shows how much they emphasise on consistency of the Tesla cars delivered to customers	“You cannot run a business without experiments” Peter gave many useful advice such as to be at a market leadership position, we need to fix problems of today or problems of tomorrow. We only need to focus on what is ahead and not get distracted by competitors trying to catch up. He shared that to build a product, we need to solicit feedback on how much people are willing to pay something that is cheaper, faster and better.
Andrew Tay	“Our robots are able to achieve a precision between 0.01mm to 0.02mm” The Tesla Factory is prove that a company through hard work will be able to achieve great things. The automation in the factory isn’t built overnight and certainty took weeks if not months of hard work to achieve the level of precision demonstrated	“If you want to solve problems in Singapore. You should be looking at ASEAN as a whole and not just Singapore alone. How can we solve our problem and not rely on China or US?”
Benedict Wee	Tesla vision of “helping to save the world in driving towards sustainable energy for cars” in making their cars to 100% perfection to the tiniest of details and one interesting fact I learn is that “Tesla is the first car that travel the HIGHEST, FURTHEST AND FASTEST in the whole solar system”	Some interesting things I learn from Peter today is that “Failure teaches you much more than success” which he emphasis that one have to “keep trying, keep failing and sooner or later you will hit that winning combination” as he say “one need fail 10,000 times to get one success” and also instead of looking at your how good your rival are, look at how you can solve your customer problems which solve your own problem which makes you the dominant leader in the market so that you can pull ahead in the game.
Claire Teo	I was surprised that the adoption rate of robots in Tesla’s production factory was so high! It made me realize how fast technology has been progressing in the recent years, and how technology helps to not only increase the efficiency of a production, it also benefits humans by reducing potential risks. As much as there have been some debates regarding the replacement of human labour with robots, i believe that robots still require human interaction to perform in its optimum capability, and i do see that there will result in an upside for the economy as a whole in the near future.	I think it is important to take on challenges when we are young when we have nothing to lose - which it is something i believe we have to always constantly remind ourselves especially when we are back in Singapore and being pressured to conform with the majority’s thinking. SIngaporeans like Peter are inspiring as compared to the rest of us, i could see that after living in US for a couple of years, his train of thoughts, his ability to articulate, his drive for passion, and his need for an enjoyment in life, are important soft skills for people to be working in a global environment. Their ability to achieve a work life balance allows them to be more creative in their work, and are more productive.
Clara Chong	“People think that just because our cars are fast and sexy, that they can’t be safe. But our cars are actually top in safety too.” This just shows how what the world thinks is conflicting - a car that is thrillingly fast & fun and safe, is not impossible and it takes the right entrepreneurs to actualise that!	(In answering how to stay ahead of competitors) “Instead of focusing on our competitors, Twilio focuses on solving the problems of today and the problems of tomorrow faster and better than anyone else can and as long as we focus on that, we will always stay ahead.” I think it’s good to strike a healthy balance between comparing with our competitors and focusing on our products and successful companies do that well!
Clarissa Poedjiono	“To put it simply, we are basically on a mission to save the earth.” Back then, not many people was not convinced with the idea of being a producer of only electric cars and thought that the business would be out pretty soon. However, looking at where Tesla is now, the company has undoubtedly proved them wrong. This company refuses to stay in the comfort zone but continues making technological advancement that precedes other companies in its league. This drive to continue improving their products and their production line is what eventually contributes to its success.	“You need to focus on your customers’ future needs, not on the competitors to be ahead of the competitions.” Twillio succeeds not because no one has done something like they do before but because they do it better that others. They were able to see that rapid development will be a commonplace as small companies are burgeoning and demanding easy implementation that can support their fast-paced nature of business.
Derrick Lee Ming Yang	It was a great privilege to be able to visit the production line at the Tesla Factory itself. As this was my first time visiting a car production line, I wasn’t sure of what to expect as I have no prior experiences to compare to. Nevertheless, being one of the first few universities to visit the Tesla factory was indeed an honour.	The visit to Razer and Twilio reminded me of why I signed up to TSM in the first place. I wanted to know how it’s like to own a startup and the work life in Silicon Valley and I was able to get the information I need from this two places. The talk by Twilio and Razer got me inspired and ignited the spark in me to want to build a business again. It also validated my hypothesis that building a startup/career in San Francisco is what I want to do upon graduation.
Eustace Zheng	To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy; a company should always look strategically on whether to fully take over components or know when it is best to leave it to other partners.	Never worry about the competition, always look at what is ahead on the road instead of the rearview mirror. When you are focused on your customer and doing good for them, you will eventually keep ahead.
Felix Wu	Funfact! It takes up to 5 days to transform raw materials to a finished car at the Fremont factory.	We do take a lot for granted in Singapore (education, safety, healthcare, stability) but while we are younger, we can afford to take more risks!
Student Name	Tesla	Twilio
Goh Jia Yi Timothy	Fascinating factory line setup that uses extensive use of machines and technologies to speed up production to about 5 days for a car.	Good insights of the comparison of the differences in education of USA and Singapore and the experiences of working lifestyle in both countries as well.
Goh Jin Qiang	Process is more important than outcome as it will directly impact customer’s satisfaction	Failure will only make you stronger
Jacquelyn See	Quote: “Help save the world in driving towards sustainable energy for cars” - Tesla Mission I find that the trip to Tesla factory is very interesting because i get to ride on a tram that drives around the factory by the tour guide. From the an hour ride, i get to see and learn how cars are being made and each processes that it goes through from the start to the end. I am also amazed on how Tesla turn its car manufacturing factory into a knowledge based place for visitors to learn more about the manufacturing process.	Quote: “Failure teaches more than success does” One of the greatest takeaway from the trip is, his advice for people who are thinking of doing a startup. For example, he mentioned that we should not be short sighted by providing solutions for people that are in Singapore only. Instead, we should be far sighted by providing solutions that are able help people in other countries. It is because Singapore has a limited population hence the market size is small therefore, there won't be much impact it could bring and the startup will be less well-known. Overall, I enjoy his sharing session because he is very motivating and encouraging. He emphasized that we should embrace failure and learn from it. Only through failure, we can get invaluable experience and the more we fail, the more resilient we become.
Jamie Chew	“Tesla is more than just a car company, we are driven towards sustainable driving. Basically, we are here to save the earth.” When thinking of having our own startups, it is essential to drive towards creating meaningful social value for the wider community. At the end of the day, profit matters, but value matters even more.	“Keep trying, keep failing - something that Asians aren’t usually good at.” In Asia, we have many strengths, but we have weaknesses as well. I think it is really important to learn how to work on our weaknesses, instead of simply recognising and accepting it as part of “who we are”.
Jared Sim	to automate a factory, you first decide on the parts you want to produce, get the raw materials for them, plan out how each part travels through the facility, find robotics and machinery that can do what you want, program those machines and start slow, ramping up production later on	find a market in which the product offerings suck and do it better
Jeremy Bachtiar	Find the right balance between automation and human labour in a production process. This is very crucial in maintaining your quality of product while improving its efficiency and productivity	As a company it is more important to solve your users’ problem instead of focusing on trying to outcompete your competitors.
Jolyn Yio	Tesla was just jaw-droppingly awesome, its not everyday that you get to observe how a car is manufacture in a mass produced way, Tesla inspires me to take actions towards saving the earth.	Twilio was quite cool too, I learned not to be so focused with competitors but to make my product “cheaper, faster or better”.
Jonathan Chew	“While it may seem that the driver unit is small, Tesla produces one of the fastest car in the world because we get more output from an electric induction motor”	“Don’t keep looking at your competitors, solve your current customers’ problem and their potential problems so that you’re always a step ahead of the competition”
Moses Fam	“ Excellence is not an act , it’s a habit.” The building of the vehicles, the processing of the tesla unit maybe simple steps but making sure that these products are of quality is key.	“Keep Trying Keep Failing” Just like what Thomas Edison said “I have not failed.I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Learning from mistakes is key.
Remy Ng	Quality is not an act, it is a habit	Go out and live and see the world
Student Name	Tesla	Twilio
Rizudin Bin Jalar	Quality is not an act; but it is a habit. I should always give my best on every project I do - be it how small or huge the project is - so that people would be satisfied with the service or project I do.	You only young once. I should start utilizing all my energy on the things that I am passionate about since I am young and I have energy to do, instead of wasting my time and energy on something not worth doing.
Shilpa Suresh	The Tesla factory tour provided a rare look into one of the most famous companies in the world right now. Although most of the tour was focused on the production line, there were two big takeaways - don’t be afraid to take a business direction even though there is a lot of skepticism surrounding the idea and showing that you care about your employees, wherever they may be on the org chart, goes a long way in instilling a sense of belonging.	The story of how Twilio came to be is representative of what their beliefs have come to be - Fail over and over and again and you will learn from those failures enough to one day succeed. Apart from the company in general, the lessons in navigating the cultural divide was very poignant. The point made about finding the middle ground between the two cultures is something that is very important, particularly in the the modern world.
Tan Jian Hua	It takes a lot of robots and human effort just to create a Tesla car	It is more important to meet customers demands than to constantly compare with competitors
Tan Ming Sheng	Keep trying, keep failing. Your chances of success is near.	Fully understand your customer needs instead of comparing with your competitors.
Tay Wei Xuan	Thoughts/Quote: The factory tour was very interesting as we got to understand how Tesla manufactures its cars.	Thoughts/Quote: “Failure teaches you more than success does.”
Terence Yeo	Tesla should spearhead expansion into Singapore. Tesla should support building of infrastructure and study how they can introduce electrical charging to Singapore.	Find a market problem and make it better. Solve problems for consumers instead of worrying about the competition.
Wong Zhe Yin, Treasa	“Innovations that save the world” - the main purpose of the products that telsa creates such as the electric cars are aimed at utilising sustainable energy.	Started with programmable voice and SMS. Interesting enough they dived into SIM cards in 2016. “Find a current product and make it better” - this quote is apt for students who are thinking of starting their own business but are not sure of where to start. “To be entrepreneurial, start with small risks” - the key is not to go with the prescribed route set out by society.
Xavier See	At Tesla, we saw the production facility. It was interesting as they showed us how the cars are built from start to finish. Most of the workers seems happy doing their jobs, which is not what I would expect in a factory setting. It seems like they love their jobs and Tesla gets people who are passionate about what they do. I believe Singapore can learn in terms of work culture of quality rather than quantity.	At Twilio, during the meeting the contact person told us about his journey of how he came from Singapore to silicon valley to join the company. He made good points about how he came over partly due to the higher starting pay and as he does not have much commitment at the moment. This helps when going back to Singapore to find a job as they will probably pay higher due to the experience.
Zhuo Yunying (Kaelyn)	Tesla utilized a built-to-order production system and the high consumer demand forces them to minimize its production cycle time by adopting various strategies including automating through gigantic robotic arms and full utilizing factory capacity through 24/7 production. The gift shop sales assistant also shared that Tesla’s Model S and X mainly served China, US and Scandinavian markets while Model 3 mainly target mass market including developing countries. However, I felt that Tesla can only achieve so if it can address the issues of backorders and undeveloped charging facilities and infrastructure in the developing world.	Peter’s perspectives on the cultural difference between SG and US is quite relevant to SMU’s pedagogy. However, we are still largely afraid to fail when in fact “Failure is celebrated” in SV and it is needed to thrive in tech industry. Though US does not provide diverse education pathways like SG, the culture of embracing failure is much stronger and what makes us to say no to failure? Another key takeaway would be that “Data is the best reason to challenge hierarchy.” Being an aspiring data analyst, it is intriguing to understand how data could support new initiatives and the best initiative usually comes from the bottom.