Hamilton Helmer

And they almost missed it.

It came down to a final marketing trial where they almost didn't follow up on it.

Wow.

Well, I'd characterize it a little different.

I'd say it was a very interesting technology with no product.

Yeah, it's funny.

I guess we share a view in that.

I don't find myself very popular in that view, but I agree with you.

There's all this hand-waving about the wonders of decentralization and the world will be a great place and everything, and I'm waiting for the— We need the sticky note.

We need the sticky note, right.

Anyway, so I think that is just a simple observation, which is that the stuff that's most likely will get you there is a different need, but using some of the skills that you have.

And nothing very complicated about it, but I think data bears that out.

So a really interesting question.

I mean, way back when, before the idea of core competencies, there's a writer that wrote about, I think they used the term distinctive competencies, which is exactly what you're getting at.

And I would say that that was probably true of coring and glass technology, but it's rare.

And I agree with you that a lot of tech companies have a lot of similar sort of stuff.

And if you had a distinctive capability,

and that that had an application in an area so it led to a good product, then, oh boy, that's great.

But it's hard.

That's not common.