There's a number of these industries that seem to have a lottery-like element to them, where getting a ticket to the big time requires a bunch of things to come

There's a number of these industries that seem to have a lottery-like element to them, where getting a ticket to the big time requires a bunch of things to come together. Fine-dining restaurants also "need" a chef with a name, a sensible location (though you can do OK many places), and some favorable early reviews. Hedge funds, my industry, is similar, though the real estate issue is not quite so pressing as for a theater. Starting your own band is also one of those where there's a big time where there are certain industry standards that you'll have to get familiar with while you work on the actual product. Common to them all is you have to bring together a certain mix of human capital, experience, and novelty to get the right doors to open. There's always kind of structure that everyone in the industry understands, with its own lingo and skills and important players that everyone knows. What they also have in common is that you can have very competent people who know how to do stuff that don't strike the gold. Everyone's heard music from highly accomplished musicians who aren't famous.