Related to this was a quote I heard from some local people who did case studies of entrepreneurs in the area. They described entrepreneurs as "the opposite of Renaissance Men" and "overspecialized". They were obsessed with ideas and often had little outside of their field in which they were innovators. Many began working on their niche at a young age. They are described as "not fun at parties" and always thinking/strategizing on improvement within their specialty. Sometimes they were able to imagine markets that didn't yet exist and then will them into existence through persistent effort.

Interesting perspective and important for people like those in our circle who are both historians and Renaissance Men to think on. I love the quest for knowledge but I agree there's not much money in it, unless the quest updates your salable skills (something I did in a very hit or miss way this past year). I think there is hope for generalists to become entrepreneurial, actually, but it involves fighting one's natural tendencies and developing a more intense focus.