Nikita Bier, the head of product at X, recently shared insights into the unique work culture at Elon Musk’s company during an appearance on the “Out of Office” podcast. He described X as operating similarly to a startup, emphasizing the company’s small, flat teams and Musk’s hands-on approach to management, which includes weekly reviews with engineers.
Bier highlighted that at X, there are few managers, with most individual contributors reporting directly to Musk. This structure allows for a high degree of autonomy among employees. “Everyone has an incredible amount of agency,” Bier noted. “We come up with an idea, we build it in a week, and it’s out.” This rapid pace is a hallmark of Musk’s various enterprises, including Tesla and SpaceX.
During the weekly reviews, Musk evaluates progress made by each engineer, requiring them to present one or two slides summarizing their work. “He does weekly reviews basically with every engineer at the company,” Bier explained. Although some skepticism exists regarding the feasibility of such extensive reviews, the emphasis on direct feedback reflects Musk’s commitment to being deeply involved in the details of his companies.
Bier’s experience at X stands in contrast to his previous roles at larger tech firms like Meta and Discord. He described the engineering team at X as lean, comprising around 30 core product engineers, which he compared to the size of a single feature team at Facebook. “It’s essentially operating like a startup,” he said, reinforcing the agile nature of the organization.
In a related discussion, Sulaiman Ghori, a former employee at xAI, echoed Bier’s sentiments about the flat organizational structure. He recounted a wager between Musk and an employee regarding the setup of a GPU rack, which resulted in the employee winning a Cybertruck. Such anecdotes illustrate the dynamic and high-energy environment that Musk fosters.
Bier emphasized that working for Musk means tackling challenging projects rather than seeking quick wins. “He will always do the hard things,” Bier said, pointing out that Musk focuses on critical tasks, from algorithm reconstruction to establishing data centers. The intensity of this work culture is evident, as Bier remarked, “Every morning, every day, there’s a new crisis.”
As X continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, employees can expect a demanding yet innovative atmosphere that prioritizes rapid development and direct engagement with leadership. This unique approach reflects Musk’s broader vision and high expectations, setting a distinct tone for those looking to work at one of his companies.
