Marc Andreessen dissects how luck can play an important part in the success of entrepreneurs. I think his discussion is relevant to any person or company looking to innovate. He explains the theoretical background of luck, and that there are 4 different kinds of luck. It all whittles down into these four things:
- Take Action
The more active you are in your chose field, and the more action you take as opposed to long deliberations, the more likely one of those “swings at bat” will prove successful. - Be Curious
“Curious people are more likely to already have in their heads the building blocks for crafting a solution for any particular problem they come across, versus the more quote-unquote intelligent, but less curious, person who is trying to get by on logic and pure intellectual effort.” - Make Connections
Be “flexible and aggressive” about “linking together multiple, disparate, apparently unrelated experiences on the fly.” - Have Broad, Unique Experiences
“…creative people are better off with more life experience and journeys afield into seemingly unrelated areas, as opposed to more formal domain-specific education — at least if they want to create.”