Precocity means early identification of potential in a given field. Early identification of that potential means individuals and institutions around the indivi

Precocity means early identification of potential in a given field. Early identification of that potential means individuals and institutions around the individual start to dedicate resources towards their development. Having resources dedicated to that development means such individuals can specialize and focus without having to spend as much (or, perhaps, anything) in terms of time/resources on normal life-supporting activities. Early identification also means investment of attention which accrues in reputation (and probably compounds in much the same way early financial investment does), which means less time spent having to convince people to give you opportunities. Basically: there's a path-dependent element to success / prestige. Precocity is not the only route but it helps so much that of course it's often correlated with recognized genius.