.
The fact is - if
works generally considered to be genius (or exceptional) were so easy to
create (not to mention
distribute), then they would be the
norm, not the
exception. It's really not rocket surgery.
Again, I submit to you Dean is living in an idealistic fantasy world, where anyone - given the proper ingredients - can be or do anything. This is simply NOT reality - and thus, not true. And even it it WERE true, it has NOT yet been properly tested!
(Guys like Salman Khan are making
some progress in this direction, but their success is still
very limited, given the scope of potential for the entire human race. I have my own issues with Khan's limitations - like, ok, so you can get education to the poor, to slow learners, etc. - but how will you EVER get the slow learners to seriously compete with the super quick learners!? Some people just naturally - or from a REALLY early age - have a much greater development capacity or talent, etc. Again, though, in order to prove this incorrect, you'd have to completely rebuild our entire planet's socio-economic foundation!
)
But we've gone way OT here.
Back on topic - again, talent (and or genius) is no measure of success. And almost never has been.
And neither is hard work.
MOST OF SOCIETY is filled with people who are broke
after a lifetime of hard work - talented, or not!
There are way too many components of the basic business success model missing in the OP's thesis.
Again, a successful career generally doesn't happen without some semblance of a professional team or network.
Success requires funding, business acumen, social skills, networking, luck, timing (including being in the right era of some lucrative trend), connections, staying power (which includes mental and logistical strength), and KILLER PR!!
.