About true work and value creation

Recently, I watched a video of Elon Musk speaking to a group of engineers and aspiring founders. He discussed AI, robotics, space, and the concept that creating things that truly matter is essential.

To begin, let's define what it means to "be useful." It refers to creating something that has a positive impact on a significant number of people. I call this true work, a type of work that enhances the lives of others. You can think of it as a simple equation:

Usefulness = Value Provided to Each Person × Number of People Helped.

Some key concepts to keep in mind when doing "true work."

Minimize Ego:

True work often means doing uncomfortable tasks, not just visionary or fancy ones. When I co-founded the Nutrition Collection Lab, our mission was to create a healthier alternative to traditional cookies by using only alternative flours and sugars, focusing on ingredients rich in micronutrients. One of my main tasks was to design each label and calculate the nutritional facts for every cookie.

Then I was going to hospitals and wellness centers to show them that our cookies have a low glycemic index and that they could be a healthier option for people with specific dietary needs. It was the only way to sell those cookies because I didn’t have anyone else to hire at the moment who understood alternative flours or the ketogenic diet. So my main tasks inthe beginning were basically designing the labels, sometimes cleaning the lab, or doing other physical work like cooking.

Focus on Outcomes:

Evaluate your work by its actual impact, not how hard it was. And here you have to do a shift, from effort-based validation to result-based validation. This is very important for founders: smart and elegant solutions that don’t solve a real problem or solve the wrong one are wasted energy. Here’s what you should ask yourself:

If this solution is successful, how useful will it be, and to how many people?

What will change in user behavior, system performance, revenue, safety, or overall experience?

Simplicity & Clarity:

I’ve worked with founders to develop brand identities, and one of the biggest challenges is not creating the identity itself, but is being completely clear about your idea, what you’re trying to build? If you can’t explain it simply, it means you don’t understand it deeply. Clear language leads to clear thinking; it is a self-check mechanism.

It’s essential to remove unnecessary complexity from our communication, especially in environments like AI and startups. Using plain and direct language that everyone can understand leads to faster decisions, less confusion, and better teamwork.

"Thanks for reading" - Olesea