Elon Musk has extended a global invitation to skilled software engineers to join his ambitious project of developing an "everything app." In a recent post on X, Musk urged "hardcore software engineers" to share their best work by emailing code@x.com. He emphasised that traditional qualifications, such as educational background or professional affiliations, are not a priority. Instead, what truly matters is the engineer's coding prowess.
"If you're a hardcore software engineer and want to build the everything app, please join us by sending your best work to code@x.com. We don't care where you went to school or even whether you went to school or what "big name" company you worked at. Just show us your code," he wrote on X.
See the tweet here:
Notably, Elon Musk's unconventional approach to education emphasises skill-based learning over traditional academic frameworks. In the past, he has advocated for a problem-solving-focused education system, rather than one centred on memorisation and standardized testing. Musk believes that education should prioritise "teaching problem-solving, not just tools," as he stated in a 2020 New York Times interview.
In 2014, Musk sparked debate by declaring on X that a degree is "not necessary" to work at Tesla, as long as candidates demonstrate exceptional skills.
What is the Everything app?
The concept of an everything app, often referred to as a "super app," is massively popular in Asia and tech companies across the world have tried to replicate it. According to Reuters, the "everything app" is akin to a super app, a multifaceted mobile application that integrates various services, including messaging, social networking, peer-to-peer payments, and e-commerce shopping. This type of mega app is often likened to a Swiss army knife, offering a versatile range of features to users.
The popularity of super apps is particularly pronounced in Asia, where mobile devices serve as the primary means of internet access for many individuals. As noted by Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University, the widespread adoption of super apps in Asia is largely driven by the region's reliance on mobile internet access.
In a Q&A session with Twitter employees in June 2022, Musk highlighted the absence of a super app equivalent to WeChat outside of Asia. He noted that in China, people essentially live on WeChat, and he sees an opportunity to develop a similar all-encompassing app for the rest of the world.
