The reason we have so much talent in Silicon Valley building and investing in for-profit technology companies is that markets richly reward successful ideas, no matter who invents them. But to remain competitive in a free market, companies must exercise discipline to meet quantitative goals and eventually become cashflow positive.
I think, a lot of times in Hollywood, the right idea comes along at the right time, and it becomes in retrospect, 'Wow, why didn't I think of that?'
What makes me feel good is that after all these years, the ideas that Joe Perry came up with worked and all the kids loved it.
In my experience, the more successful an idea is, the easier it is to fund it. In philanthropy, it's almost harder.
Not every good idea survives. Not every new form of art is repeated. Not every new potential instinct is successful. Only the successful ones get repeated. By natural selection and then through repetition they become probable, more habitual.
Most ideas that are successful are ludicrously simple
Power focuses on self-preservation; principle focuses on making ideas successful.
Yes, I backed the hula hoop. And I had a lot of other people come to me with ideas that turned out well.
