Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Luck plays a role, yes. But as I said earlier, people require motivation. You level the playing field, you douse motivation.
Also, while it is indisputable that luck is a factor, it is very difficult to determine how much, and it is easy to overstate it. And I think saying it is a disproportionate role is overstating it. You have to be lucky in order to be invited to the game, but from the group that has that luck, only one succeeds.
Suggesting luck plays a disproportionate role in Bezos' success isn't reasonable, IMO. Did it matter that his parents were able to support his efforts financially? Absolutely. Most people's parents can't throw in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
However, the question needs to be asked: would he have been successful without that support? No one can say, of course. But there are lots of other sources of financing, for those that have viable business plans.
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As the saying goes; "luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation"...
Bezo's parents being able to invest a couple hundred thousand into Amazon wasn't luck. It was an opportunity that he was able to take advantage of. And the fact that he was bright, with a solid idea surely also factored into their willingness to invest (that's the preparation).
Can anyone here honestly say the only thing standing between them and starting the next $100B company is their parent's ability to invest $300,000? Ha!
Whether you're talking about Jeff Bezos, or even just a partner at a law firm, pointing to their success and calling it 'luck' is disingenuous and shows a true lack of understanding of what it takes to achieve that level of success. No one claims an NHL'er is 'lucky' and it's much the same with anyone else at the pinnacle of their professional field.
Winning on your first pull on a slot machine is lucky; building a billion dollar business is almost anything but.