Ben Wilson

There really is something special about how much you can get accomplished in two weeks of intense focus. All right, he has another great quote on this. He says, I find it is important to work intensively for long hours when I am beginning to see solutions to a problem. At such times, solutions seem to come welling up.

There really is something special about how much you can get accomplished in two weeks of intense focus. All right, he has another great quote on this. He says, I find it is important to work intensively for long hours when I am beginning to see solutions to a problem. At such times, solutions seem to come welling up.

You are handling so many variables at a barely conscious level that you can't afford to be interrupted. If you are, it may take a year to cover the same ground you could cover otherwise in 60 hours. Okay, I love that. Something special happens. Divine guidance, he calls it.

You are handling so many variables at a barely conscious level that you can't afford to be interrupted. If you are, it may take a year to cover the same ground you could cover otherwise in 60 hours. Okay, I love that. Something special happens. Divine guidance, he calls it.

And without that intense focus, it might take you a year, he says, to accomplish what you could in three days with that focus. I find that true in podcasting. It took me two weeks to figure out how to podcast and launch this podcast. It's true in writing and starting a new business or venture. In basically everything, something really special happens when you focus completely for a short burst.

And without that intense focus, it might take you a year, he says, to accomplish what you could in three days with that focus. I find that true in podcasting. It took me two weeks to figure out how to podcast and launch this podcast. It's true in writing and starting a new business or venture. In basically everything, something really special happens when you focus completely for a short burst.

Okay, so in New York, he basically cracks how to create synthetic polarizers. He calls it one of the great moments of his life. When it first comes out and he's done it, he's created this synthetic polarizer. not just the material to be created, but also he has to figure out how to manufacture it and how to manufacture it at scale.

Okay, so in New York, he basically cracks how to create synthetic polarizers. He calls it one of the great moments of his life. When it first comes out and he's done it, he's created this synthetic polarizer. not just the material to be created, but also he has to figure out how to manufacture it and how to manufacture it at scale.

And so he does, he kind of cracks the code and he thinks his work is done. He gets some patents on it and he thinks he can now turn the work over to a big company and let them handle it. So he goes back to Harvard and resumes his studies. But of course, it turns out it's not that simple. Turning a concept into a mass-produced product turns out to be very difficult. You know, who would have known?

And so he does, he kind of cracks the code and he thinks his work is done. He gets some patents on it and he thinks he can now turn the work over to a big company and let them handle it. So he goes back to Harvard and resumes his studies. But of course, it turns out it's not that simple. Turning a concept into a mass-produced product turns out to be very difficult. You know, who would have known?

And it requires the attention and involvement of the inventor, of land. He's the one that knows the stuff backwards and forwards. No one else can do it for him. So at first, he tries to do this work while at Harvard. One professor is very impressed with him and lets him use the lab, even though he's just a second-year undergraduate. And this is amazing, right?

And it requires the attention and involvement of the inventor, of land. He's the one that knows the stuff backwards and forwards. No one else can do it for him. So at first, he tries to do this work while at Harvard. One professor is very impressed with him and lets him use the lab, even though he's just a second-year undergraduate. And this is amazing, right?

Other professors become very interested as well. And before you know it, all these people are trying to help him figure out polarization, how to do all this. And this reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger. And he talks about when he first starts taking bodybuilding seriously. He talks about how everyone in his little village, his hometown, spontaneously starts helping him in all these little ways.

Other professors become very interested as well. And before you know it, all these people are trying to help him figure out polarization, how to do all this. And this reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger. And he talks about when he first starts taking bodybuilding seriously. He talks about how everyone in his little village, his hometown, spontaneously starts helping him in all these little ways.

They offer to do his chores for him. They give him their food at lunch. They say, you know, you're a big guy. You need this milk more than I do and start giving him stuff. When you have a big vision, people respond to that and they just start conspiring to help you. Same thing with Genghis Khan when he's young. People help him with stuff at great personal risk to themselves.

They offer to do his chores for him. They give him their food at lunch. They say, you know, you're a big guy. You need this milk more than I do and start giving him stuff. When you have a big vision, people respond to that and they just start conspiring to help you. Same thing with Genghis Khan when he's young. People help him with stuff at great personal risk to themselves.

Big visions make people want to help you. But even with the use of these labs and all this kind of free help at Harvard, it's too much to run the company and study full-time simultaneously. So he eventually drops out of Harvard with a graduate student who had taught him some classes named George Wheelwright.

Big visions make people want to help you. But even with the use of these labs and all this kind of free help at Harvard, it's too much to run the company and study full-time simultaneously. So he eventually drops out of Harvard with a graduate student who had taught him some classes named George Wheelwright.

And together they start a corporation at first called Land Wheelwright, but this is the corporation that goes on to become Polaroid. Before we get into the history of Polaroid, I want to take a second to tell you about Van Man. They make all natural products that I use every day, like lotion and deodorant, and it is the best stuff. I love it. Completely all natural food grade ingredients.

And together they start a corporation at first called Land Wheelwright, but this is the corporation that goes on to become Polaroid. Before we get into the history of Polaroid, I want to take a second to tell you about Van Man. They make all natural products that I use every day, like lotion and deodorant, and it is the best stuff. I love it. Completely all natural food grade ingredients.