🚀 3.2.1. Elon 5-Step Secret ::: Atomic Scaling

Most founders see bloat and reach for automation. Big mistake. You're just making bad processes run faster.

Elon Musk's approach flips this: strip the system bare before you speed it up.

Here's how to run his 5-step algorithm on any system in your business, QDSAA this week.

3 IDEAS FROM ME

I. Sequence beats speed

QDSAA: Question → Delete → Simplify → Accelerate → Automate. This isn't a suggestion, it's a requirement. Skip steps or reorder them, and you'll just automate waste.

=> The most common error of smart engineers? Optimizing things that shouldn't exist. Question first, optimize last.

II. Track subtraction, not addition

Most teams measure features shipped. Winners track: steps removed, cycle time compressed, errors eliminated. If your step count isn't dropping 30%+, you're decorating, not simplifying.

=> If you're not adding back at least 10% of what you cut, you didn't cut enough. Build your Minimum Viable Rocket.

III. Constraints reveal truth

Force a 50% timeline cut before touching automation. Suddenly, unnecessary approvals vanish. Handoffs disappear. Perfectionism dies. Deadlines expose what actually matters.

=> Every requirement must have a name attached: a person, not a department. When you can ask someone why it exists, phantom requirements disappear.

2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS:

I.

“The iteration of hypothesis, changes, and measurement will make you better at a faster rate than anything else we have seen.” - Gabe Newell, Co-Founder, Valve Software

II.

“If you’re digging your grave, don’t dig faster.” - Elon Musk, Co-Founder, Tesla & SpaceX

1 ACTION FOR YOU:

Pick your most bloated system: product dev, sales pipeline, marketing or operations. Then run this exact checklist:

Step 1 — QUESTION every requirement​
List every step. For each one, write down: Who required this? Why does it exist? Put real names, not departments.

Step 2 — DELETE 30%+​
Cut ruthlessly. If you're not adding back ~10% of what you deleted, you didn't cut deep enough. Remove entire steps, not just tweaks.

Step 3 — SIMPLIFY what survives​
Combine three steps into one checklist. Consolidate handoffs. Remove decision points that don't change outcomes.

Step 4 — ACCELERATE cycle time​
Halve your timeline. This will force you to eliminate waits, approvals, batching, and polish that doesn't matter.

Step 5 — AUTOMATE last​
Only now—after the system is lean—add tooling or automation. You'll automate 70% less and get 10x the impact.

Live Long and Prosper,

Ludovic Bodin

3x Entrepreneur, 2x Unicorn Investor, 1x IPO
Founder of BOBIC Generational Wealth
Author of Atomic Scaling

P.S. Want the step-by-step? I've turned this into a 15-minute exercise with fill-in fields and real examples. Reply CHECKLIST and I'll send you the Elon Musk Algorithm Worksheet. Say GPT if you want access to the GPT version of it!

P.P.S. Need a deeper dive? Reply AUDIT for a 45-minute live teardown of your most bloated system. We'll run the algorithm together and ship you the simplified flow same-day.

P.P.P.S. Watch me break this down on YouTube:

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

“The 3P3R framework represents a powerful collection of concepts - being the Test - allowing you to discuss, find and define specific actions to improve your business model and become a true Atomic Scaler."

- Dr. Wolfgang Hildesheim, Head of Watson - Data Science and Artificial Intelligence - at IBM

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