Good questions, interesting answers. More than anything, I was relieved to find that the common thread was passion and a willingness to make things up and see where it went. A lot of fame came from a mixture of good timing, friends with similar goals, and stellar ideas that were chased purely for their own merit.
It would appear that I’m part of a weird, somewhat unique generation that didn’t grow up taking computers for granted but had enough time to thoroughly dive into technologies as they developed. A quick look around today reveals infamous young CEOs that were largely doing what seemed natural: making stuff and exploring in a new space.