The point about persistence is really important. I've worked with a lot of smart people who aren't persistent and, frankly, quite often lazy and/or uninterested

The point about persistence is really important. I've worked with a lot of smart people who aren't persistent and, frankly, quite often lazy and/or uninterested. They don't work through problems by themselves and are quick to seek help or quick answers at every hurdle. Needless to say they aren't going and filling in the gaps in the requisite knowledge to better themselves either.