Elon Musk is one of the most accomplished tech leaders in the world. Especially nowadays he became famous for launching a car into space. He’s one of the young successful people that many people see as a role model. But, what are his secrets to success?

  1. He sleeps less than 6 hours.

In a Reddit AMA from 2015, the Tesla Inc. and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that he slept almost exactly 6 hours on average. Musk has said he has even slept in Tesla’s factory — even keeping a sleeping bag in a conference room next to the production line so he can better inspect vehicles as they come off it. So the less you sleep, the more time you have to make your goals come true. Six hours can be actually pretty enough for good cognitive functioning during the day; of course, if you set your biological clock according to that.

2. Work like hell and love what you do.

When Elon and his brother co-founded the company that became PayPal they lived and slept in a small office, and showered at the local YMCA. And when you really like what you do it enables you to find the energy persist through the challenges that a growing business will undoubtedly face.

“Work like hell. I mean you just have to put in 80 to 100 hour weeks every week. [This] improves the odds of success. If other people are putting in 40 hour work weeks and you’re putting in 100 hour work weeks, then even if you’re doing the same thing you know that… you will achieve in 4 months what it takes them a year to achieve.” ~Elon Musk

3. Take Risks As You’re Young.

Elon suggests taking risks when you are still young as obligations only increase over time.

“Once you have a family it gets much harder to do things that might not work out.”

It’s worth keeping in mind that Elon started SpaceX and Tesla with a young family so his family obligations have certainly not slowed him down.With greater risks, such as those needed to carve out a new niche, comes the potential for far greater rewards.

4. Don’t fear failure.

In an interview, Musk has stated that he originally thought Tesla would fail.

When asked why he would start a company that he didn’t think would be successful his answer was:

“If something is important enough you should try even if the probable outcome is failure.”

5. He asks the right questions, at the right time.

For example, Elon Musk has such a question that he loves to ask in interviews.

“You’re standing on the surface of the Earth. You walk one mile south, one mile west, and one mile north. You end up exactly where you started. Where are you?”

Can you solve it?

Want more Elon Musk? See:  Will Elon Musk’s ‘Tesla Roadster’ Hit Back to Earth? or  Millionaires Have One Simple But Effective Characteristic in Common