It’s 2026, and people are still criticizing @elonmusk for pursuing ambitious projects that supposedly make no sense. This time, the debate is about flying cars - whether anyone actually needs them and all the practical problems they might create. So let me explain this once again. Whether it’s a mission to Mars, a next-generation vehicle, a flying car, or any other seemingly unrealistic ambition, the ultimate value of these projects goes far beyond the products themselves. Ambitious projects are catalysts for extraordinary engineering breakthroughs. To make them possible, we need innovation on an unprecedented scale across materials science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, thermodynamics, aerodynamics, advanced manufacturing, control systems, telecommunications, and countless other disciplines. These challenges force us to solve problems we would otherwise never attempt to solve. They push the boundaries of what is technically possible, generate new technologies, create entirely new industries, and accelerate scientific discovery. And crucially, the resulting innovations rarely remain confined to their original purpose. They spill over into other sectors, improve productivity, reduce costs, and create economic value far beyond the initial investment. The point is not whether humanity desperately needs a flying car. The point is what humanity must invent to make a flying car possible. Of course, you can disagree with Elon Musk’s worldview, his political opinions, his decisions, his communication style, or many other aspects of his personality and business practices. That’s perfectly reasonable. Admiring technological ambition does not require agreeing with the person behind it. But we should be able to separate our opinions about individuals from our appreciation of the engineering challenges they are willing to take on. We should also stop evaluating ambitious engineering projects exclusively through the lens of their immediate commercial utility. Not every ambitious project will succeed, but even failures can produce knowledge and technologies that become the foundations of future breakthroughs. Sometimes the greatest value of building something extraordinary lies in everything we discover along the way. And one thing is certain: what an extraordinary time to be alive, to witness breakthroughs that previous generations could only dream of. We should appreciate that more often.