"Keep every deal short enough to understand When the conversation turned to contracts and governance, Musk distilled his negotiating philosophy to a single principle: "Make sure there"s clarity of understanding — that's the most important thing.' His practical implementation is to "keep any kind of deal very, very short and simple, plain language, and just make sure everyone understands: this is the deal, does everyone understand, is it clear?" He noted that most business deals are "way too long and complex and overly lawyered," which obscures rather than protects. Anyone entering agreements — employment, vendor, partnership — can apply this by refusing to sign anything they cannot summarize aloud in two sentences. Source: Elon Musk, Lex Fridman Podcast, Elon Musk"