What I love about this story is that, he is not only persistent, he is also creative. Everyone knows, at least conceptually, how to be persistent, even if they don't always live up to it. But you can't just put your foot done and say "I am going to be creative this time."
It's like the difference between ordinary geniuses and magicians. Ordinary geniuses are like ordinary people, only many times better. Magicians (the orginal remark was referring to feynman) however were a mystery as to how they think.
Then again, there is probably a significant correlation between persistence and creativity, the latter being the result of the former carried to unusual length until one starts to try wacky ideas.
"If you look back in history, radical ideas aren’t always received very well. When Galileo suggested the world was round, he was nearly killed for his theory. When Moore said that the power of computers will double every 18 months, people thought he was crazy."
Did he just compare selling televisions online to changing a basic scientific paradigm or heading a fortune 500 company? For that matter did he just put Moore and Galileo in the same league with this comparison?
This should be a discussion about someone who had the conviction to quit his job and after repeated rejection turned an idea into a business. More examples would be helpful.
For those who don't get the reference, it's from Galaxy Quest, a film that, apparently, Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart (to name just two) both love. More on-topic, though, it's not only advice to would-be entrepreneurs, it also shows the value of a good slogan or catch phrase. No one can say "Never give up" in my presence without me thinking of that film, and that completion.
Eh? Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe was complete nearly 50 years before Galileo was born.
Ctrl-w.