This Week in Startups E1090: Nikola Founder Trevor Milton on competing with Tesla, hydrogen over battery, going public as a pre-revenue company & more
Jul 31, 2020
Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation, dives into the competitive landscape of zero-emission vehicles. He discusses the transition from private to public company, emphasizing transparency and governance. Milton highlights the potential of hydrogen fuel over traditional diesel in freight trucking, sharing a significant $800 million deal for hydrogen-powered trucks. He explores Nikola’s unique manufacturing strategies compared to Tesla, and looks ahead at the company's upcoming hydrogen and battery vehicle models, underlining the importance of sustainability in the automotive industry.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
WeWork's Impact
- Trevor Milton decided to take Nikola public because of WeWork's failure.
- He believed WeWork's opaque practices led to its downfall and wanted Nikola to be transparent.
Sunlight as Disinfectant
- Jason Calacanis suggests that WeWork's problems could have been avoided with earlier public scrutiny.
- He argues that transparency would have disinfected the company's issues.
Distribute Power
- Avoid excessive control as a founder; distribute power for a healthier organization.
- Milton chose Executive Chairman, not CEO, to prevent unhealthy control.