If, like me, you find the creativity process and innovation fascinating, you'll love hearing this podcast on NPR's How I Built This. They interview James Dyson (maker of vacuum cleaners, etc) and he explains how he engineered his vacuum cleaner over a period of 5 years in his shed with over 5,000 prototypes. This episode is a wonderful reflection on how things can (and should) be done in the face of uncertainty and the importance of optimism and dedication.
I'm not sure if I would have had the courage to spend 5 years working on a project which would involve that many prototypes, and potentially, that many people saying it wouldn't work. What encourages people to get so enthralled with an idea that they dedicate their lives to trying to solve it? And at what point would you have walked away?