Elon Musk, one of the most important entrepreneurs of our time, is “responsible” for bringing innovative companies such as PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla Motors to market.
What draws our attention to him these days, however, is his role as chairman and principal shareholder at SolarCity – a solar energy company led by his cousins. SolarCity has been a public company since 2008, with its share price rising from $8 to over $75! This represents an investment that has grown nearly 10 times, in less than two years.
The esteemed entrepreneur shares a series of business lessons applicable to the solar industry, but also to business in general. Thus, we learn from him that solar technology, which is inherently exponential, is 
a brand. His company, SolarCity, treats solar electricity as a marketable product, which is a perspective that is at the very least new – think about it, how many branding campaigns do you know Electrica SA has ever done? Ever?!
SolarCity considers the power of the masses to achieve its business goals, being aware that for success, solar energy must be an option for the majority. Only in this way will they be able to change the behavior of every customer: by ensuring that the masses understand and adopt the solar phenomenon. One tool the industry has already begun to use is crowdfunding, successfully raising over $300,000 for the Mosaic project in the USA.
Solar energy is a brand! – Elon Musk
Elon Musk is one of the few entrepreneurs in the world who is not afraid of Chinese products, even welcoming them with open arms: he chose to beat the lowest prices (offered by them) with their own weapons, offering panels for free to his consumers.
The procedure is one of leasing, where consumers pay monthly for the energy produced by the panels installed on their homes, without paying for them upfront, however.
SolarCity is an example of an innovative company we like: it overturns the business world’s understanding for its own benefit, turning a utility into a cool, fashionable brand, and using market threats to transform them into opportunities for its own business.
The full article can be read here.
