Elon Musk Says Startups Need Support Like “Small Saplings in the Forest”

Elon Musk used a simple analogy at the G20 summit to explain why startups need more support than established companies.
“The large trees don't need the support. It's the small saplings that do, the startups,” Musk said.
His point is that large companies already have capital, infrastructure, distribution and established customer bases.
Startups, by contrast, are far more vulnerable during their early stages and often depend on access to funding, talent and a regulatory environment that allows them to grow.
The comments highlight Musk’s broader view that innovation often comes from smaller companies willing to take risks that larger incumbents may avoid.
Supporting those early-stage businesses, he argues, is critical if economies want to keep producing new industries and technologies.