Elon Musk: I'm not aware of many companies that were created without an extended period of extreme pain. “Maybe there are occasionally companies that get created where there's not an extended period of extreme pain, but I'm not aware of very many such instances. But I do think that new great entrepreneurs are born every day. And we'll continue to see amazing companies get built.  I would definitely advise people who are starting a company to expect a long period of quite high difficulty. But, as long as people stay super-focused on creating the absolute best product or service that really delights their end customer, if they stay focused on that, if you get it such that your customers want you to succeed, then you probably will.  You have to focus on the customer and delivering for them. If your customers love you, your odds of success are dramatically higher.” Interview at Start Me Up Hong Kong, January 26, 2016