I found it interesting that three people cracked the code independently: Dr. Ernst, in 1996, Dr. Reeds, in 1998, and Heidel, in 1676. But Heidel's work wasn't

I found it interesting that three people cracked the code independently: Dr. Ernst, in 1996, Dr. Reeds, in 1998, and Heidel, in 1676. But Heidel's work wasn't understood because he encrypted it, and Ernst's work was overlooked because it was published in an obscure journal. Dr. Reeds' unique contribution wasn't in solving the problem, but in communicating the solution in an accessible way. A lot of successful companies have been the same way -- they might not have been the first ones to solve a problem, but they brought their solution to the masses effectively and accessibly.