I think we put too much weight on intelligence as the factor differentiating innovators from the rest. If we were to clone some great scientists from the past I believe would be underwhelmed.

Not because these aren’t brilliant people but because brilliance isn’t the most important factor in innovation. Rather, innovation is driven by people who are exposed to a novel environment and are just smart enough to not ignore it.

Bill Gates’ highschool was the only one in the US with a computer. Albert Einstein was working in a patent office where he saw a conga-line of patents discussing how to standardize the measurement of time across vast geographies.

Both brilliant people. Both exposed to a novel societal idea. Thankfully they were smart enough to run with it.