Chapter
The Three Deaths of the Loon Shot
1:45:25 - 1:51:00 (05:34)
Loon shots, a term coined by Safi Bahcall, refer to breakthrough innovations that were initially dismissed as unworkable, but later become revolutionary products or strategies. Such breakthroughs typically face multiple failures before finally succeeding and transforming entire industries.
Clips
The most important breakthroughs are usually killed several times before they come to fruition, and this goes against the popular Silicon Valley notion of "fail fast and pivot".
1:45:25 - 1:48:02 (02:37)
Summary
The most important breakthroughs are usually killed several times before they come to fruition, and this goes against the popular Silicon Valley notion of "fail fast and pivot". The podcast explores historical examples of loon shots and the two different types of this phenomenon.
ChapterThe Three Deaths of the Loon Shot
Episode#364: Safi Bahcall — On Thinking Big, Curing Cancer, and Transforming Industries
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
There are two types of breakthrough innovations: P-type involves a new product or technology, while S-type involves a small change in strategy that everyone says won't work.
1:48:04 - 1:51:00 (02:55)
Summary
There are two types of breakthrough innovations: P-type involves a new product or technology, while S-type involves a small change in strategy that everyone says won't work. The latter is often overlooked, but can be just as important as the former, as exemplified by the story of Walmart.