Most of the fundamental breakthroughs in science, math, culture, music, or business, [Andreesen] says, came from people in their early twenties. "As far as I can tell, it's not because those people are particularly brilliant or unusual, it's because... you're so young, you know little about what's been done before. You've not bought into the assumptions that exist in any field.
From last month's Business Week excerpt of a new book on Netscape co-founder Marc Andreesen:
Personally, 36-year-old Andreessen feels he no longer has to prove anything to anyone. While people have been calling him a has-been, his net worth has grown nearly fivefold and is now well north of $600 million. But he is disturbed by one fact: Most of the fundamental breakthroughs in science, math, culture, music, or business, he says, came from people in their early twenties. "As far as I can tell, it's not because those people are particularly brilliant or unusual, it's because you know enough to be able to actually produce something.... You have enough of an education and training," he says. "But you're so young, you know little about what's been done before. You've not bought into the assumptions that exist in any field. By the time you're 35, you start to have a really good understanding of the things that are possible to do and not possible to do." So while he's happy he has gained the experience to know that good times always come back in Silicon Valley, the confidence to tell doubters they're flat wrong, and the money to do whatever he wants, Andreessen knows his experience may be a hindrance if he wants to truly change the world again.
I'm 36 so if Andreeson's right, it's up to Breakthrough Generation to make the political breakthroughs a reality.
