A long time ago, a guy flew a kite in a storm. When lightning struck it, the current traveled down the string of the kite to a key, giving the victim a jolt of electricity. Who was that famous scientist?
Jacques de Romas.
Wait, that’s not right. Wasn’t it Benjamin Franklin?
Well, not according to historians. The Bordeaux Academy and The French Academy both credit de Romas for successfully being the first to complete The Kite Experiment. Even Mythbusters believe they’ve busted Franklin’s claim–the shock from the reported key would have easily killed him.
So what’s the point? Franklin didn’t do the experiment–in fact, he didn’t even discover electricity. A guy named Thomas-François Dalibard had proven a month prior to Franklin that lightning was electricity through an experiment similar to The Kite Experiment (but he used a lightning rod, which probably explains why he lived to describe the experiment).
So why aren’t grade school kids taught about Thomas-François Dalibard’s discovery. Why isn’t de Romas flying the kite in that painting? Why is Franklin so famous for something he probably didn’t even do?
I enjoy helping entrepreneurs figure out how to start and grow businesses. And I’ve had a chance to work with some new entrepreneurs at Starter School here in Chicago. At a recent talk I gave, one question stuck in my mind. The young entrepreneur asked, “Now that I’ve built a product, how do I get it to spread?” This entrepreneur recognizes that having a good idea and building a great product isn’t enough.