I only skimmed the discussion and original post, but "training" didn't jump out at me from either. One can distinguish "ideas": neat new apps for iOS that will

I only skimmed the discussion and original post, but "training" didn't jump out at me from either. One can distinguish "ideas": neat new apps for iOS that will make money, or, say, string theory or quantum chromodynamics. The first requires people to pay attention to how people are using their phones and, probably, how business operates. But then, Angry Birds was probably a hack-inspired project so maybe luck's a component as well. The others require a whole lot of background in math, physics, a sense of what is beautiful in these disciplines and some idea of how the current models work. Way more effort, and not really subject to a hack attack. Both are facilitated by intelligence, opportunity, etc. But I wonder whether people are interested in or appreciate the amount of spade work involved for some areas. If you want to work hard AND make some bucks, work on material science (catalyst design, high-temp superconductors) or try to understand the human immune system and how it could be modulated. Lots of coding in there, and the winners are heroes who will be feted worldwide. Oh, I'll throw in another one... A critical skill in Pharma is, to be blunt, patent breaking. If one can determine that two molecules are sufficiently different to be outside a patent but sufficiently similar (biochemically and physicochemically) to be active at the same target in the same strength or better... I should point out that modern drugs can make several Billion a quarter once on the market.