Elon Musk is ‘non-emphatic, genuinely funny,’ ex-Twitter employee spills details about Tesla CEO’s personality

Elon Musk is ‘non-emphatic, genuinely funny,’ ex-Twitter employee spills details about Tesla CEO’s personality

Esther Crawford, a former product manager at Twitter, recently gained attention when a picture of her sleeping in a Twitter office went viral last year. In a lengthy post shared at X (presumably a platform or publication), Crawford expressed her thoughts about Elon Musk and her experience working for the social media giant.

Crawford’s post shed light on her mixed feelings about her time at Twitter. She described the experience as both “amazing and terrible,” suggesting that her journey at the company was filled with ups and downs.
As a product manager, Crawford played a crucial role in shaping and developing features or aspects of Twitter’s platform. Her contributions to the company were notable enough that Twitter acquired her startup in 2020, indicating the value she brought to the table.

However, Crawford’s post did not elaborate on the reasons for her mixed feelings or delve into her thoughts about Elon Musk. Without further context, it is challenging to understand the exact nature of her experiences or her opinions about the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.

As with any social media post or statement, individual perspectives and experiences can vary widely, and it’s essential to recognize that Crawford’s views may be subjective and personal to her.
For a comprehensive understanding of her thoughts and experiences, one would need to refer to the original post she shared at X or seek out any additional statements or interviews she may have given on the subject.

Esther Crawford highlighted some of the issues she perceived at Twitter before Elon Musk’s takeover in her post. According to her, the company often felt “siloed” and “bureaucratic,” indicating that there were challenges in communication and collaboration between different teams within the organization.

Crawford also mentioned that “dumb power plays,” reorganizations and frequent changes to team names for ego-driven reasons were common distractions at the company. These actions may have contributed to a sense of instability and hindered the overall focus on the company’s core goals and objectives.

It is essential to note that these observations reflect Crawford’s perspective and experiences during her time at Twitter. Different employees may have varying perceptions, and the overall company culture can be subject to change over time and under different leadership.
Elon Musk’s takeover as the CEO of Twitter might bring about significant changes to the company’s direction and culture. As a well-known entrepreneur and CEO of multiple successful companies, Musk’s influence and decision-making style could impact Twitter’s operations and strategy.

For a comprehensive understanding of the current state of Twitter and the impact of Elon Musk’s leadership, it would be best to refer to more recent and in-depth sources, such as official statements, interviews, or articles that provide insights into the company’s developments under his leadership. Esther Crawford’s observations about Twitter’s infrastructure and company culture shed light on some of the social media giant’s challenges before her departure. According to her, Twitter’s infrastructure was described as “old and bespoke,” indicating that it may have been outdated and lacked modernization.

Moreover, she mentioned a lack of willingness to think beyond quarterly earnings calls, suggesting that there might have been a focus on short-term financial performance rather than long-term strategic planning.

Crawford also highlighted a concerning trend where healthy debate and constructive criticism seemed to be replaced by a default response of negativity or resistance to change. This attitude could have hindered innovation and progress within the company, preventing it from exploring new ideas and opportunities.
Her description of Twitter as a place that “kept squandering its potential” suggests that she perceived missed opportunities or underutilization of the company’s capabilities and resources.

It’s important to remember that Crawford’s observations are based on her own experiences and may not reflect the views of all employees or stakeholders at Twitter. Company culture and infrastructure can vary across different teams and departments, and these perceptions may have evolved or changed over time.
Given the dynamic nature of the technology industry, Twitter may have taken steps to address some of the issues raised by Crawford or undergone significant changes since her departure.

For a current and comprehensive understanding of Twitter’s infrastructure, company culture, and strategic direction, it is recommended to refer to official statements, recent interviews, or updates from the company itself.Esther Crawford’s observations about Elon Musk, based on her interactions with him, provide insight into his personality and leadership style. She described Musk as oddly charming and genuinely funny, indicating that he has a unique and engaging presence in person.

However, Crawford also noted some of Musk’s personality quirks, such as repeatedly telling the same stories and jokes. This repetition might reflect certain traits of Musk’s character or communication style.
The more significant challenge, according to Crawford, lies in Musk’s ability to switch emotions rapidly.

He can go from being excited to angry in a short span of time. This unpredictability in his mood and reactions created an environment where people felt uncertain about how to approach him. The fear of negative consequences for sharing bad news or being called into meetings might have led to cautiousness and hesitancy among employees.
Such dynamics in a workplace can affect open communication and transparency, potentially hindering the organisation’s flow of information and collaboration.

It is essential to recognize that people’s perceptions of leaders can vary, and different individuals may have different experiences with the same person. Musk’s leadership style may have both positive and negative impacts, depending on the context and the individuals involved.
As with any description of a leader’s personality and behaviour, it’s essential to understand that leadership styles can be complex and multifaceted. The portrayal of Musk provided by Crawford represents her perspective and experiences during her tenure at the company.

Esther Crawford’s observations provide further insight into Elon Musk’s leadership approach and decision-making style at Twitter. According to her, Musk’s product and business decisions were often driven by his gut instinct, with little reliance on data or expertise to inform them. This instinct-driven decision-making might have contributed to the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the company’s direction.

Crawford highlighted that Musk appeared to value random feedback and Twitter polls more than the insights of the employees who were actively working to solve problems at the company. This preference for outside opinions could have impacted the team’s morale and confidence in their expertise.

While Musk’s boldness, passion, and storytelling were inspiring, Crawford expressed concerns about his lack of process and empathy. This absence of structured decision-making and understanding of employee perspectives might have created challenges in fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.
She mentioned that Musk’s proven success in tackling engineering problems might not fully translate to managing a social networking platform. A platform like Twitter requires emotional intelligence and an understanding of user experiences and interactions beyond engineering solutions.

Twitter’s previous challenges with bureaucracy might have been replaced by a different set of dynamics under Musk’s leadership. His instinct-driven decision-making and unique position as a prominent figure on the platform could have brought about significant shifts in the company’s culture and priorities.

Crawford’s remarks offer her personal observations and reflections on her time at Twitter under Musk’s leadership. It is crucial to consider multiple viewpoints and gather insights from various sources to comprehensively understand a leader’s impact on an organization.
As Twitter continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, its trajectory and the impact of his approach will likely remain topics of interest and scrutiny within the industry and among stakeholders.