Ben Wilson

And in 2001, Polaroid declares bankruptcy and eventually it actually sells and it's now just a subsidiary of a larger organization. Okay, but most of that happens without land. His story is he steps down as CEO in 1982 and sells most of his shares. Then he sells all of his shares and completely washes his hands of Polaroid in 1985.

And in 2001, Polaroid declares bankruptcy and eventually it actually sells and it's now just a subsidiary of a larger organization. Okay, but most of that happens without land. His story is he steps down as CEO in 1982 and sells most of his shares. Then he sells all of his shares and completely washes his hands of Polaroid in 1985.

He uses his money from the sale of his shares to found an independent research institute, which in 2002 was acquired by Harvard and operates within the auspices of Harvard to this day. He died in 1991 at the age of 81 following months of rapidly declining health. So that might seem like a downer to end on because it's a failure of a product, right?

He uses his money from the sale of his shares to found an independent research institute, which in 2002 was acquired by Harvard and operates within the auspices of Harvard to this day. He died in 1991 at the age of 81 following months of rapidly declining health. So that might seem like a downer to end on because it's a failure of a product, right?

However, I do think in some ways it's symbolic because for Edwin Land, it was about the adventure and the excitement of invention and creating something new. And the fact that the product was a failure from a commercial standpoint is I just I don't think it bothered him as much as people might have expected or even thought that it should have bothered him.

However, I do think in some ways it's symbolic because for Edwin Land, it was about the adventure and the excitement of invention and creating something new. And the fact that the product was a failure from a commercial standpoint is I just I don't think it bothered him as much as people might have expected or even thought that it should have bothered him.

Again, to him, it was about creating something beautiful that the world deserved, whether it was commercially successful or not. So. let's cut off the story there and let's take stock of Edwin Land and what we can learn from him. Let's go through our takeaways. I have 10 takeaways for the life of Edwin Land.

Again, to him, it was about creating something beautiful that the world deserved, whether it was commercially successful or not. So. let's cut off the story there and let's take stock of Edwin Land and what we can learn from him. Let's go through our takeaways. I have 10 takeaways for the life of Edwin Land.

10 things that I learned that I think are really improving my life and can hopefully improve yours as well. So number one, you are always two weeks away from completely changing your life. Okay, remember this quote. You want to be almost alone with just a few friends. You want to be undisturbed.

10 things that I learned that I think are really improving my life and can hopefully improve yours as well. So number one, you are always two weeks away from completely changing your life. Okay, remember this quote. You want to be almost alone with just a few friends. You want to be undisturbed.

You want to be free to think not for an hour at a time or three hours at a time, but for two days or two weeks if possible without interruption. You don't want to drive the family car or go to parties. You wish people would just go away and leave you alone while you get something straight. Then you get it straight and you embody it.

You want to be free to think not for an hour at a time or three hours at a time, but for two days or two weeks if possible without interruption. You don't want to drive the family car or go to parties. You wish people would just go away and leave you alone while you get something straight. Then you get it straight and you embody it.

And during that period of embodiment, you have a feeling of almost divine guidance. Then it is done and suddenly you are alone and you have to go back to your friends and the world around you and to all history to be refreshed, to feel alive and human once again. As Land said, you can accomplish in 60 hours what you otherwise cannot do in a year. And it's unsustainable.

And during that period of embodiment, you have a feeling of almost divine guidance. Then it is done and suddenly you are alone and you have to go back to your friends and the world around you and to all history to be refreshed, to feel alive and human once again. As Land said, you can accomplish in 60 hours what you otherwise cannot do in a year. And it's unsustainable.

You can't do this all the time. You can't live your life this way permanently. However, at any given time, when you just think, I am stuck and I need help, to get to a different place. You're just two weeks away from an entirely new life. That's happened for me. I really believe that. You are always just two weeks away from another breakthrough.

You can't do this all the time. You can't live your life this way permanently. However, at any given time, when you just think, I am stuck and I need help, to get to a different place. You're just two weeks away from an entirely new life. That's happened for me. I really believe that. You are always just two weeks away from another breakthrough.

Okay, number two, a stable home life leads to a creative work life. You know, his relationship with his wife was incredible and it was very solid and constant and that allowed him to be extremely innovative in his work life. I think you can compare him to people like Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was like the most boring guy imaginable, right?

Okay, number two, a stable home life leads to a creative work life. You know, his relationship with his wife was incredible and it was very solid and constant and that allowed him to be extremely innovative in his work life. I think you can compare him to people like Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was like the most boring guy imaginable, right?

He went to church every week, very committed Lutheran, very boring home life, had all these children, could not have been more conventional in his daily life. and yet he completely innovated the world of classical music forever, right? So you see this time and time again.

He went to church every week, very committed Lutheran, very boring home life, had all these children, could not have been more conventional in his daily life. and yet he completely innovated the world of classical music forever, right? So you see this time and time again.