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The Myth of the Lone Inventor

Posted by chrisd on from the inventions-not-ideas dept.

Codex The Sloth writes "Malcolm Gladwell (who amongst other things, wrote "The Tipping Point") has written an article for the New Yorker claiming that the role of the lone inventor is over. The example of Philo T. Fransworth (the "inventor" of Television) who failed because (amongst other reasons) he didn't have the big resources of a company to allow him to focus on his innovations. The thesis is that it is rare to have a single innovation that makes a product workable and that getting all of the inovations together requires a (large) corporation. No doubt others feel different."

7 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. role of the lone inventor is over? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    role of the lone inventor is over

    I don't know, didn't it just take one person to invent the "Sharpie marker CD ripping system"(R).

    -DanThe1Man
    (err, can't log in)

  2. Many one man inventions still to come... by sisukapalli1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ask the patent office... Things like one-click patent can be accomplished by single individuals easily.

    S

  3. In other words by ObviousGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    You're saying the Lone Inventors are dead?

    Thanks for spoiling it all Chris!

    --
    I have been pwned because my /. password was too easy to guess.
  4. Re:Lone inventor is immortal by ObviousGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Alex Chiu is great not because he invented his device alone, but because he stood on the toes of the great.

    --
    I have been pwned because my /. password was too easy to guess.
  5. Re:The Article Is Silly by caca_phony · · Score: 2, Funny

    what you all overlook is that there is meta in team. and meat too. and tame. and 'met a'. and a. and ma. and eat. and mat. and mta (mail transfer agent). duh. now I feel dumb.

    --
    ...and this lie crawls out of its mouth: 'I, the state, am the people.'
  6. Moot by ThoreauHD · · Score: 1, Funny

    The fact that I'm loggin onto his http with a one man noncorporate sponsored OS, browser, and tcp/ip packet doesn't say alot for his theory.

    But what do I know, .. wait- let me ask permission first.. nope, can't tell ya. Sorry, No comment.

  7. Re:COMING SOON - How Americans invented the wheel by Serial+Troller · · Score: 0, Funny

    Sorry, but unless we can exploit it for our own purposes or bomb it, we're just not interested.

    Cheers,
    Fat-ass American

    --

    STOP ME BEFORE I POST AGAIN!