SPECIAL: Thomas Edison (Part 1)

Having a single source of truth for your business operations can save you from the frustration of dealing with disconnected software and processes. HubSpot's customer platform offers a solution by providing a centralized place to manage customer interactions, track leads, and utilize AI-supported tools to streamline communication. Additionally, the HubSpot Podcast Network, which includes popular shows like Entrepreneurs on Fire, provides valuable resources for learning and growing your business. In the latest episode, Ben Wilson's podcast, How to Take Over the World, shares insights on Thomas Edison, an underrated inventor and entrepreneur who filed 1093 patents in his lifetime, including for the light bulb and recorded sound. By sharing this content, we hope to inspire and educate our audience.

Thomas Edison, the inventor and businessman, defied the odds and achieved remarkable success through his innovative spirit and unrelenting determination, despite facing challenges as a homeschooled, odd, and deaf child. Edison, who was born in Milan, Ohio in 1847, grew up in a family of contrarian men and was mostly homeschooled due to his unusual nature. He was considered strange by his peers, who saw him as a thinking, aloof, and odd child. Edison's hearing began to deteriorate as a child, but it's unclear how much of his social disconnect was due to his hearing loss or his unique thought process. Regardless, Edison's analytical mind and relentless curiosity drove him to become one of the most famous inventors in history, with inventions such as the phonograph and the light bulb. Despite his challenges, Edison's celebrity surpassed even that of modern-day famous inventors like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, and he was viewed as a symbol of progress and human potential.

Thomas Edison's unconventional upbringing and natural intelligence, coupled with his mother's belief in him, set the foundation for his extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and resourcefulness. Despite facing isolation and hardships, Edison's curiosity and determination led him to start businesses at a young age, even engaging in underage deception to succeed. A notable example is his profitable venture selling Civil War news papers during the Battle of Shiloh, demonstrating his business acumen and ability to capitalize on opportunities. These experiences shaped Edison's character and laid the groundwork for his remarkable inventive achievements in the future.

Thomas Edison's early life was marked by curiosity, experimentation, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. He started a newspaper on a moving train, ran a chemistry lab on the same train, and eventually became an accomplished telegraph operator. Edison's passion for science and chemistry led to his downfall when a lab fire ended his train adventures. However, he quickly found a new obsession in telegraphy and became a master of Morse code. His career as a telegraph operator took him across the developing American Midwest, where he and his colleagues formed a tight-knit community of intelligent and resourceful young people. They were known as "tramp operators" or "sparkers," and they were obsessed with tinkering and practical jokes. Edison's life during this period resembled the early days of Silicon Valley, with rapid population growth, access to advanced technology, and a culture of innovation and playfulness. Despite the challenges and setbacks, Edison's curiosity and determination drove him to become a pioneer in telecommunications and set the stage for his future inventions.

Thomas Edison's relentless obsession with inventing led him to push the boundaries of technology and science, often at the expense of his personal well-being. His unhealthy habits, such as barely eating and sleeping, were fueled by his insatiable curiosity and drive to innovate. Edison's story is reminiscent of Julius Caesar's, who was also driven by a desire to accomplish great things in a short amount of time. In 1868, Edison moved to Boston to focus solely on inventing and created the first electric stock ticker machine, revolutionizing the financial sector by providing real-time information to bankers. Despite his lack of sleep and nutrition, Edison's inventions and innovations made him a trailblazer in American history.

Thomas Edison's move from Boston to Newark, New Jersey, and later to Menlo Park, New Jersey, played a crucial role in his success as an inventor. Being close to financiers and bankers in New York City led him to invent the inductorium and electric pen, which had modest success. However, his most significant invention, the quadruplex, which increased telegraph communication bandwidth fourfold, brought him financial success and recognition among his peers. Married to Mary Stilwell, Edison moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, to have more room for experimentation. However, his success was threatened when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, which had the potential to make Edison's quadruplex obsolete. Despite this, Edison's innovations revolutionized communication technology, paving the way for future advancements.

Thomas Edison's lack of formal scientific education and relentless experimentation led him to make significant improvements to the telephone, ultimately surpassing Alexander Graham Bell's original invention. Despite his limited theoretical knowledge, Edison's persistence and innovative approach resulted in the creation of a functional telephone that could transmit clearer and farther than Bell's. This victory in the "telephone battles" demonstrated the power of practical experimentation and the importance of being willing to try unconventional methods to solve complex problems. Edison's famous quote, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work," encapsulates his mindset and underscores the value of persistence and determination in the face of challenges.

Planning less and doing more, with a focus on trial and error, can lead to greater success. This was demonstrated in an experiment where a team of kindergarteners built taller towers than a team of adults, who spent more time planning and less time building. This approach was also used by Thomas Edison, who made his most significant discovery, the phonograph, during a late-night experiment. Edison, an inventor but not a businessman, missed out on millions of dollars by selling a patent for the telephone too early. His late-night work parties, which included midnight meals and relaxed conversations, often led to creative breakthroughs. During one such session, Edison intuitively realized that if sound could make unique vibrations, he could record those vibrations and play them back. This realization led to the invention of the phonograph. Thus, the lesson learned is to balance planning with action, and to be open to experimentation and failure in order to discover new opportunities and innovations.

The invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison and his team was a groundbreaking achievement that left people utterly amazed and baffled. Clusi, a machinist, and Batchelor were instrumental in turning Edison's ideas into reality. During an experiment, they managed to record and reproduce human speech for the first time in history. Edison's attorney, Benjamin Butler, was among those who couldn't grasp the concept, describing it as "remarkable but incomprehensible." The public reaction was similar, with many people unable to decipher the recorded words when first heard. The audio quality was not as clear as today's standards, but the fact that a machine could reproduce human speech was beyond their wildest imaginations. This invention, which might seem commonplace today, was a true sensation and a testament to the adaptability and ingenuity of Edison and his team.

The invention of the phonograph, which allowed for the recording and reproduction of sound, was met with astonishment and excitement due to its potential to preserve the voices of the deceased. This was a groundbreaking concept as it tapped into the human desire to connect with loved ones after they had passed away. The scientists who had claimed to be on the verge of this achievement in France were overshadowed when Edison revealed his already-completed phonograph, leading to an international sensation. The idea of recording and playing back human speech was not only a technological marvel but also a profound connection to the past. Edison's achievement, which seemed so mundane to him, was a significant step towards the mass-market appeal of sound recording. The phonograph, and Edison's reputation as the "Wizard of Menlo Park," were born from this unexpected application of the technology.

Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph in 1877 marked the beginning of his international fame, but it didn't lead to significant profits right away. The phonograph was a sensation, but it was seen more as a toy than a practical machine. Edison was a natural showman and his innovations, including the phonograph, captured the world's attention. However, it took decades before recorded audio found widespread use in homes. Edison's struggle to find profitable applications for the phonograph was due in part to his relentless tinkering and technical difficulties. The media portrayed him as a wild frontier inventor, which fueled even more interest in him. Menlo Park became a tourist attraction, but the pressure to make profits was mounting. In an attempt to find inspiration and escape the limelight, Edison took a trip to the Western United States. Upon his return, he quickly sketched out plans for the incandescent light bulb, which would become another groundbreaking invention in his long and storied career.