#241 The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies

Key takeaways

The early pioneers of aviation were driven by a sense of adventure and ambition, often risking their lives for innovation.
The rivalry between the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss serves as a reminder of how competition can sometimes obstruct progress.
Understanding personal limits is crucial; relentless pursuit of success can lead to negative health consequences.
Cooperation and knowledge sharing can enhance innovation and prevent the downfalls attributed to competition.
Lessons from history can guide current and future entrepreneurs to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Summary

The Mythical Pioneers of Aviation

The podcast delves into the fascinating saga of early aviation, centering on the lives of the Wright Brothers and their competitor, Glenn Curtiss. The host reads an excerpt from the book 'Birdmen' which paints the picture of young, daring individuals who risked everything to conquer the skies. It discusses how these aviators, faced with near-certain danger and without safety measures, are honored as mythic figures in history.

The Clash of Titans: Wright Brothers vs. Curtiss

A significant portion of the podcast focuses on the rivalry between Wilbur Wright and Glenn Curtiss. The narrative tracks their intense feud, which revolved around patent disputes and competition in innovation. It highlights how their personal qualities both fueled their successes and led to their downfalls, emphasizing the impact of their obsession with dominating their industry.

Character Studies of Innovators

The podcast introduces various historical figures who contributed to the development of aviation, such as Otto Lilienthal, a prominent aeronautical engineer whose innovative approaches greatly influenced the Wrights. Additionally, John Moisant is depicted as someone driven by ambition and adventure, symbolizing the risks associated with early flight.

Endurance and Consequences of Innovation

Attention is drawn to the toll of relentless pursuit in innovation as exemplified by Wilbur Wright’s struggles against illness and exhaustion. The podcast fits this narrative into a larger cautionary tale about the perils of overworking and the dangers of neglecting health while chasing ambition.

Legacy and Lessons of Early Aviation

The podcast concludes with reflections on the legacy of the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss, showcasing the advancements in aviation that emerged from their rivalry. The importance of collaboration over competition is stressed, as well as the need for entrepreneurs today to learn from the mistakes and successes of these early aviators.

Show notes

What I learned from reading Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone.
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[1:07] The Wright Brothers (Founders #239)
[3:47] Avoid any activity that distracts you from improving the quality of your product and the quality of your business.
[5:58] Completely self-taught, he made spectacular intellectual leaps to solve a series of intractable problems that had alluded some of history's most brilliant men.
[9:46] The Wright-Curtiss feud was at its core a study of the unique strengths and flaws of personality that define a clash of brilliant minds. Neither Glenn Curtiss nor Wilbur Wright ever came to understand his own limits, that luminescent intelligence in one area of human endeavor does not preclude gross incompetence in another. And because genius often requires arrogance, both men continuously repeated their blunders.
[13:38] P.T. Barnum: An American Life (Founders #137)
[13:49] John Moisant had three failed attempts to overthrow the government of El Salvador.
[17:44] Master of Precision: Henry Leland (Founders#128)
[19:32] Sacrifices must be made.
[20:18] The science of flight has attracted the greatest minds in history—Aristotle, Archimedes, Leonardo, and Newton, —but achieving the goal stumped all of them.
[23:19] If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic-being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmit images, flying, accessing vast amounts of data like an oracle. These are all things that would have been considered magic a few hundred years ago. —Elon Musk
[23:57] If the process was to move forward with any efficiency, experimenters would need some means to separate what seemed to work from what seemed not to–data and results would have to be shared. The man who most appreciated that need was someone who, while not producing a single design that resulted in flight, was arguably the most important person to participate in its gestation.
[28:46] He found his first breakthrough by doing the exact opposite of his competitor.
[30:08] The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst (Founders #145)
[39:04] His passion was speed. He had tremendous endurance, he was never a quitter, and he would do anything to win.
[42:25] My Life in Advertising by Claude Hopkins (Founders #170)
[43:46] No lead is insurmountable if you stop running before you've reached the finish line.
[47:03] Reluctant Genius: The Passionate Life and Inventive Mind of Alexander Graham Bell (Founders #138)
[47:05] The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform American Capitalism (Founders #142)
Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt (Founders #156)
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey (Founders #175)
[47:40] Never underestimate your opponent. It’s all downside, no upside. Churchill (Founders #225)
[57:05] He saw competition as a destructive, inefficient force and favored large-scale combination as the cure. Once, when the manager of the Moet and Chandon wine company complained about industry problems, J.P. suggested he buy up the entire champagne country. — The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance (Founders #139)
[1:00:05] Find people who are great at selling your product and hire them.
[1:06:55] He was driven by an uncontrollable desire for adventure and wealth, and almost an adolescent need to be seen as a swashbuckling hero.
[1:07:45] John was left desperate for an outlet for his obsessive audacity.
[1:13:57] The McCormick's were used to making terms, not acquiescing to them.
[1:19:15] Wilbur never seemed to grasp that his crusade to destroy his nemesis could destroy him.
[1:20:00] I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. —Steve Jobs
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“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth
Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast