The Myth of the Lone Inventor

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."

Comments

Re:Human Knowledge Growth

[Jennifer E. Elaan]

I personally believe that you are wrong. One person can certainly learn enough technical knowledge to invent things. In fact, I've been structuring my life around learning enough to do the things that are "too hard for one person".

At the moment (and I'm only 20), I write compilers and OS-level code for fun, I design and build innumerable electronic devices, I design chemical processes (primarily for PC-boards currently), I do theoretical math and physics, I'm learning machining and woodworking, and I read medical texts on the side. AND I've almost figured out a homegrown process for SOI IC fabrication. *WHEW*

I'm a firm believer that merely dropping the attitude "I can't learn it because I'm too [stupid/specialized/etc]" is all that's really required. Human capability is limitless if you push hard enough.