That left Ashok Elluswamy, then Tesla's head of Autopilot software, to carry out one of Musk's biggest bets. Elluswamy, who joined the Autopilot team in 2014 as a founding member, is front and center for both initiatives. The program was good training for Tesla's Autopilot team. Leading Tesla's Autopilot team isn't just about technical breakthroughs. Four former Autopilot engineers said Elluswamy tended to go along with Musk's vision, even if the product had not been perfected.