Videos
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How to create compelling innovations: a lesson taken from EVs | Jon McNeill | TEDxBoston -
Outlook on the AI Sector in 2025
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McNeill: AI data centers need more than just Nvidia—it's an entire stack
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McNeill: Tesla's innovation is about questioning everything, then simplifying & optimizing
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Simplify to Scale | Jon McNeill | TEDxBeaconStreet -
What's bad for Tesla is good for the sector, says former Tesla president Jon McNeill
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Former Tesla president: Company is pivoting to autonomy 'because their core business is weak'
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Telsa price cuts are to keep the factories humming, says DVX Ventures CEO
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Tesla-Ford partnership is good for everybody: DVx Ventures CEO
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Jon McNeill | Ready for Growth: The Secrets to Scaling Your Company
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Elon Musk is good at delivering on promises but not on time, says ex-Tesla president John McNeill
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There's an overall buoyancy to EV stocks: Fmr. Tesla president McNeill
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TESLA: The Future of Electric Cars
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Jon McNeill
Learn More About Jon McNeill
When it comes to scaling businesses, few leaders have been more impactful than Jon McNeill, CEO and co-founder of DVx Ventures, General Motors (GM) board of directors member, past president of Tesla, and former COO of Lyft.
A leadership trifecta – entrepreneur, investor and executive overseeing some of the biggest business success stories of the new millennium – McNeill’s effectiveness is illustrated through a track record of multi-billion-dollar successes in the fraught and uncertain world of emerging technologies. A seasoned practitioner, his strategy for scaling startups serves as a valuable framework for leading and advancing 21st century organizations.
A popular lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School and MIT, McNeill’s principles for what leaders should be doing to grow their businesses are best viewed through his achievements: At Tesla, he oversaw a 10-fold increase in sales, from $2 billion to $20 billion in less than 18 months. In 2018, he went on to serve as chief operating officer at Lyft where he helped the ride-sharing pioneer prepare for its initial public offering. When Lyft went public the next year, its revenue had grown from $800 million to $2 billion.
McNeill points to “the algorithm for success” as the formula for such results. In his upcoming book on the topic, “The Method to Musk’s Madness – How Tesla and SpaceX Innovate” (October 2025), he offers a deep dive into a proven method for accelerating both innovation and scaling.
In keynote presentations and advisory arrangements, McNeill reveals real-world examples of how companies across industries have leveraged “the algorithm.” A gifted storyteller, he explains what makes it so powerful and provides leaders with a practical, actionable framework that can be immediately applied within their organization to drive growth and turn bold ideas into reality.
Simplifying AI for Corporate Leaders
For many leaders, artificial intelligence is a black box of complicated algorithms. But, as McNeill explains, that doesn’t mean AI needs to be hard to use.
A pragmatic voice for understanding AI, McNeill’s hands-on experience as the vice chair of GM’s Cruise has provided him with real-world insights for understanding how AI works, what it can and cannot do, where and why AI should – and shouldn’t – be applied, and how to integrate it into your business strategy.
“Autonomous driving is the mother of all AI problems,” McNeill explains. “I was inspired by a middle school math teacher who demanded simplification, so that’s what I tried to do with the complicated task of understanding the AI stack and how it works. By simplifying how they do what they do, you can then figure out how AI tools can be applied to business in tangible ways.”
Working closely with organizations, McNeill’s accessible guidance focuses leaders and helps them be thoughtful and intentional about where AI can be leveraged to drive value, communicate effectively, and make informed, strategic choices.
How AI Can Become a Salesperson’s New Supertool
One powerful application for AI is the ability to help sales teams laser-focus on converting potential leads into lucrative customers. As McNeill explains, the capacity for AI tools like large language models (LLMs) and generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) to quickly handle time consuming processes, such as sorting through hundreds of pages of business records, can greatly accelerate sales success.
“AI tools like GPTs are not only going to preserve sales roles, but they can make salespeople much more productive,” McNeill points out. “Processes that traditionally took weeks and even months, such as using a business development specialist to go find leads, can now literally take seconds at no additional cost to the company thanks to AI.”
Innovation in the Boardroom: Building Boards That Drive Impact
To accelerate innovation, McNeill explains, the boardroom must be a key partner. He makes the compelling case that today’s best boards do much more than just manage risk. They’re hands-on, strategic, and highly effective. Truly collaborative boards act as a resource to the CEO, drive bold growth, solve real problems, and create lasting impact.
McNeill is an experienced board member. In addition to GM, he is a member of the boards of Stash, CrossFit, Asurion, and Lululemon, giving him the unique perspective of understanding both sides of the executive/board relationship. He works closely with executives to break down how to curate and manage a high-impact board – one that doesn’t just safeguard the business but drives it forward by working together to reach new levels of cooperative innovation and value creation.
As startups and established brands alike embark on scaling initiatives that are rife with uncertainties, it’s crucial to engage expert help. McNeill’s vast experience leading the exponential growth of disruptive startups that became iconic successes helps founders, executives, boards and workers at all levels of an organization remain engaged in growing and contributing to the forward – and upward – momentum of a business.
Jon McNeill is CEO of DVx Ventures, an early and growth-stage venture platform with offices in Silicon Valley, New York and Boston, and a guest lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Before serving as president of Tesla from 2015-2018 and COO of Lyft from 2018-2019, he founded, scaled and sold six companies which he led through hypergrowth in revenues and operations, created tens of thousands of jobs, and delivered multi-billion-dollar returns for investors.
A graduate of Northwestern University, McNeill began his career at Bain & Company. He was the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and was named the most admired CEO in Boston in 2013. He currently serves on the boards of Lululemon, Asurion, Crossfit, and Stash.
Jon McNeill is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group.
AI, Simplified: A Practical Guide for Corporate Leaders
AI is transforming industries, but how can executives actually use it to drive impact? In this revealing presentation, experienced executive, entrepreneur and investor Jon McNeill cuts through the noise to explain how AI works in simple terms, breaking down complex concepts into clear, actionable insights. He’ll cover where and why AI should – and shouldn’t – be applied and how to integrate it into your business strategy. With hands-on experience working on autonomous driving – “the mother of all AI problems” – McNeill brings real-world insights from his time as vice chair of Cruise. He’ll break down the AI stack in a way that makes sense, explore what’s coming next, and share why great leadership isn’t about flashy presentations but about having a practical understanding of where AI can drive value, help communicate effectively, and make informed, strategic choices.
Mastering Both Innovation and Scaling – Discover the Proven Algorithm for Success
As long as business has existed, people have been trying to find the secret to success, often unsuccessfully. But what if there really was a proven blueprint for growth? According to former Tesla president and Lyft COO Jon McNeill, the “algorithm for success” that’s been employed at Tesla and SpaceX has consistently delivered transformative results. In this fascinating presentation, McNeill – who led Tesla through a period of explosive growth, driving revenue from $2B to $20B – shares insights from his upcoming book “The Method to Musk’s Madness – How Tesla and SpaceX Innovate” (October 2025), offering a deep dive into a proven method for accelerating innovation and scaling success. Through real-world examples, he unpacks the key steps of “the algorithm,” why it works, and how companies across industries have leveraged it. Attendees will walk away with a practical, actionable framework they can apply immediately within their organization to drive growth and turn bold ideas into reality.
AI – The Salesperson’s New Supertool
As many think about how artificial intelligence tools may impact the future of work, plenty of narratives focus on potential job losses. But what if AI could make some roles even more productive? According to experienced executive, entrepreneur and investor Jon McNeill, the ability of AI tools like large language models (LLMs) and generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) to quickly handle time consuming processes can greatly accelerate sales success. In this revealing presentation, McNeill explains how GPTs in particular can streamline lead generation and customer acquisition. By freeing salespeople from the tedium of sorting through hundreds of pages of business records, they will be able to laser-focus on converting potential leads into lucrative customers. Audiences will leave with a new outlook on the future of work thanks to a practical understanding of how AI can be used to truly augment, not replace, humans.
Innovation in the Boardroom: Building Boards That Drive Impact
Innovation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a boardroom necessity. The best boards today do more than manage risk; as a resource to the CEO, they drive bold growth, solve real problems, and create lasting impact. They’re hands-on, strategic, and highly effective. Few understand this shift better than executive, entrepreneur and investor Jon McNeill. After beginning his career at Bain, McNeill founded, scaled, and sold six companies before joining Tesla as president. He later served as COO of Lyft and now sits on the boards of General Motors, Stash, CrossFit, Asurion, and Lululemon. McNeill is now CEO of DVx Ventures, where he’s focused on building groundbreaking businesses. In this engaging session, he draws on his popular Stanford Graduate School of Business lectures to break down how to curate and manage a high-impact board – one that doesn’t just safeguard the business but drives it forward. Attendees will be able to return to their organizations with a new outlook on how boards and C-suites can work together to reach new levels of cooperative innovation and value creation.
A Human-Centered Framework for Growing and Scaling Your Business
When organizations set growth initiatives, the path to prosperity isn’t always clear or easy, and success isn’t guaranteed. Few are as well-qualified to speak about successful scaling strategies as Jon McNeill, CEO of startup incubator DVx Ventures. As a key player in two of the most iconic disruptive startup success stories of the 21st century – first as president of Tesla, then as COO of Lyft – his framework for scaling innovation has been proven right time and again. “You have to start by hiring world-class people,” explains McNeill. An engaging storyteller, he shares lessons learned from his time at Lyft and Tesla, as well as from his current role as a CEO, to teach his practical method for scaling businesses. Following this enlightening and informative presentation, attendees will walk away with powerful new tools and insights for forging a path that will set a new bar for success within organizations.
How to Win: Why Sleeping on the Manufacturing Floor Leads to Success
As leaders continually strive to build efficient and successful organizations, sometimes one of the simplest success strategies is forgotten: being engaged with the team. In many instances, the leadership of big organizations tends to be far away from their own employees. Former Tesla President Jon McNeill advocates for the opposite approach, one where leadership actively engages with all levels of an organization. Of his early days at Tesla, McNeill gives an example of just how visible he was, “Elon and I would sleep on the manufacturing floor to trouble shoot and problem solve with the frontline workers and engineers.” A gifted storyteller, McNeill uses relatable anecdotes to illustrate how building a team-oriented atmosphere through boots-on-the-ground, people-first leadership builds a culture of trust and innovation, and a deeper understanding of the competitive market. Leaders will gain insight into the importance of having close proximity to people on the frontline. With McNeill’s tactics, managers can ultimately foster more engagement throughout an organization, leading to a collective ambition to reach new levels of success.
Create an Idea Factory Within Your Team
Where do unique and disruptive innovations come from? Past president of Tesla and former Lyft COO Jon McNeill says leaders should take a cue from the music industry’s “songwriting factories” and create “idea factories” within organizations. In this enlightening session, McNeill – who has successfully founded, scaled and sold six businesses – explains how having a group of ambitious executives and creatives assigned to a team-within-the-team helps organizations better identify holes in the market and hyperfocus on creating new strategic initiatives and innovations. As CEO of startup incubator DVx Ventures, McNeill works with founders and creatives every day who are deploying this strategy and achieving measurable results. Following this interactive session, leaders from any industry will be equipped to create organizational “idea factories” to identify and seize innovation opportunities they might have otherwise missed.
Address Risk Head-on: Mastering the Talk/Do Ratio
Strategies must be formulated with care, but at what point does talking about an initiative become “paralysis by analysis”? According to former Tesla Motors president Jon McNeill, the biggest difference between the now-iconic disruptive electric vehicle startup and many legacy corporations is execution. “There’s a lot of talk but not a lot of do, which leads to organizational speed being hampered,” says McNeill, who led Tesla to a 10-fold increase in sales in three years. “Organizations are afraid to take risks and consider if any decisions that are going to be made are irreversible. But I’ve never seen a decision that’s irreversible.” While organizations need to be held tightly accountable, they also need to be realistic in strategy and unafraid to take risks. In this interactive session, McNeill uses real-world examples to show how an effective talk/do ratio leads to actual progress and innovation. Leaders will leave this session with frameworks for creating more direct paths to opportunities that can achieve true marketplace impact.
Whether an organization is looking to master innovation, accelerate scaling, get executives on board with AI tools or unlock “the algorithm for success,” few advisors can bring the breadth of experience and knowledge that Jon McNeill does. CEO of DVx Ventures, past president of Tesla, former COO of Lyft, and a board member of General Motors, Asurion, Lululemon and more, McNeill brings a track record of successful investing, scaling and leadership that has been relied upon by both startups and legacy companies alike. In confidential long or short term one on one sessions and small group meetings that can be held either in-person or virtually, Jon McNeill can discuss the following topics or customize an engagement for your organization’s unique needs:
- AI, Simplified: A Practical Guide for Corporate Leaders
- Mastering Both Innovation and Scaling – Discover the Proven Algorithm for Success
- AI – The Salesperson’s New Supertool
- Innovation in the Boardroom: Building Boards That Drive Impact
- A Human-Centered Framework for Growing and Scaling Your Business
- How to Win: Why Sleeping on the Manufacturing Floor Leads to Success
- Create an Idea Factory Within Your Team
- Address Risk Head-on: Mastering the Talk/Do Ratio
“Hi Jon, Wanted to send a quick note to thank you for your Amplify talk. We’ve honestly had so much positive feedback and I really think your talk resonated with our internal audience at a time when our company is constantly changing. Thank you again for your candid answers and honesty in delivery.”
