Real Reviews Beat Mockups: Ex-Tesla Engineer on True Innovation
General Motors (GM) has come a long way in the electric vehicle (EV) game. What started with the humble Chevy Bolt has now grown into a full lineup of 17 all-electric models. That growth has catapulted GM into second place in the U.S. EV market right behind Tesla. And oddly enough, Tesla’s influence is partly to thank for GM’s transformation.
The Tesla Culture Shift That GM Borrowed
One of the key catalysts behind both Tesla’s rise and GM’s recent progress? Jon McNeil. The former president of Tesla, McNeil helped launch the Model 3 and brought a product-first mindset that still defines the brand today. Now, he sits on GM’s board and he’s brought that same mindset with him.
At a recent talk in Boston, McNeil shared a surprising insight into Tesla’s internal culture: product review meetings happened without slides. That’s right, no flashy presentations, no mockups.
McNeil said
“You have to be reviewing the actual product,”
That meant weekly sessions where teams brought real, working prototypes. It kept everyone laser-focused on reality, not theory.
A Lesson from Steve Jobs to Elon Musk
That product-first mentality? It actually traces back to a single piece of advice Elon Musk got from Steve Jobs in Tesla’s early days. Musk reportedly asked Jobs for just one tip. The reply?
Musk took it to heart
“Have an impeccable product. When the product is simply beautiful, it will sell itself.”
Tesla has always gone beyond just utility. Their products are designed to be fun, sometimes even silly. McNeil joked about the infamous fart button in Tesla vehicles not exactly essential, but definitely memorable. It’s small features like that which reflect Tesla’s commitment to innovation, even if it makes people laugh.
Simplicity Is Key Two Taps or Less
At Tesla, the user experience wasn’t just about looks. According to McNeil, there was a rule of thumb: features had to be accessible within taps or they were scrapped. Once something functioned smoothly, the next step was clear: “Now make it beautiful, as Tesla’s lead designer Franz von Holzhausen would say. That mindset shaped every detail.
And when weekly product reviews rolled around, no one wanted to show up unprepared especially with Elon Musk in the room. You cannot show your B game to the CEO, McNeil recalled.
“He is going to dismiss you.”
Bringing That Discipline to GM
Since joining GM’s board in 2022, McNeil has been helping bring this product-driven discipline into play. Instead of relying on slideshows or long development timelines, GM execs like CEO Mary Barra and President Mark Reuss now meet every week for hands-on product reviews with no PowerPoints allowed. Real products, real testing, real feedback.
And it’s working. This shift has helped GM move fast, fix issues quickly, and ramp up EV development in record time. Teams don’t wait months for feedback anymore; they get it every week.
GM’s EV Boom
GM’s leap from one EV to 17 didn’t happen overnight. It came from a clear choice to stay close to the product. Week after week, leadership stayed hands-on, ensuring momentum never slowed. And that consistency has been key to GM’s rise in the EV space.
Tesla showed the way not just in building sleek electric cars, but in building a culture around real product obsession. Now the GM is taking that lesson and running with it.
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