1 part inspiration, 99 parts perspiration
Not many computer scientists out of Western Sahara villages...
You just need to be not pre-occupied with survival; and to have access to state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques (or you'll waste your inspiration re-inventing them, instead of SOTSOG).
You "just need" to have those to struggle 100x times as hard as the person who has this plus good upbringing, plus connections, plus university education, plus is in the right country for a chance at the same results.
"Connections" help for success in business/career, but how do they help for genius?
Many 'genius' level minds are doing absolutely nothing productive for humanity with their 'talent'.
I like that it's about expressed genius, implying genius isn't something you are, but something you do. Inspiration strikes unpredictably. This fits with that TED talk about the older definition of genius as a kind of muse that visits you (the inspiration part).
The inspiration for relativity - that you could make speeds constant by fiddling time and distance - is pretty simple, even childish or foolish. But constructing a consistent mathematical theory from it was difficult. Even so, the maths was within reach of other mathematicians of the time - they tutored Einstein for general relativity. It's the inspiration that you could do it and actually doing it, Though IMHO the most amazing thing about relativity is that it turned out to be true.
I agree there are many smart people who never did anything. By this definition, they aren't "geniuses".
BTW: HN might dislike this quote because Edison has fallen from favour, and (Nikola) Tesla is celebrated. Though, Edison is by all measures the better model of entrepreneurship (Telsa the better inventor). In general, HN votes should not be taken seriously.