There's some random chance as well - not everyone can win the lottery. I think that there are some minimum thresholds you have to beat in terms of intellect, d

There's some random chance as well - not everyone can win the lottery. I think that there are some minimum thresholds you have to beat in terms of intellect, drive, charm, talent, etc., but I'm not completely convinced you need a significant "degree of exceptionalism" in any of these things - being in the right place at the right time can often be enough.