How do people like Martin Fowler or Ward Cunningham came up with their ideas?

Sorry if the question sounds stupid, but what do you think, how they managed to do what others did not or could not? I mean, it all must not only be about writing a lot of code, noticing flaws and fixing them - don't most of us do that? Their backgrounds, or mental approach or something else must be different and I would love to learn what or at least get some assumptions.