>You can make lots of money by making something appear novel and undiscovered, and consequently make yourself sound smart and cutting edge. Nobody raises a round to apply a well understood discipline correctly.

I'm curious about this. I thought investors preferred safe bets?

On the other hand, I know that if you're too early, it can be impossible to make a business work (or even to pitch the idea in the first place).

Related: You can't tell people anything (2004)

https://web.archive.org/web/20091025030730/https://habitatch...

It's really funny, I've read this essay before a long time ago and it's really interesting playing back the many times both in realising it in retrospect and having seen it playing out before my eyes, that the last part really comes to the fore

    > One final point: I expect none of you to really get what I’m talking about here, because this principle also applies to itself. But I fully expect I’ll get the occasional email saying “Oh! so that’s what you meant.” or “Why didn’t you tell me that?” I did, but you can’t tell people anything.