We’ve gotten so used to swapping out our technology every few years that it’s hard to think of technology over 30 years old as still being incredibly valuable. And yet Voyager I, with Voyager II not that far behind, is on the brink of entering interstellar space. Doug Mataconis captures perfectly what is so remarkable about this old technology:
According some quick Google searching, the total cost of the Voyager program, and that would appear to include both Voyager I and Voyager II has been roughly $250,000,000 over 36 years. During that time, they’ve encountered Jupiter and many of its significant moons, Saturn and its moons, Neptune and its moons, and Uranus and its moons. Now, Voyager I has apparently discovered something scientists didn’t expect to find at all at the edge of our Solar System. In terms of pure science, we’ve arguably gotten more from these two small unmanned craft than we have from the manned space program itself. That’s not too shabby.
Read that second to the last sentence again:
In terms of pure science, we’ve arguably gotten more from these two small unmanned craft than we have from the manned space program itself.
That seems like a big claim to make, but one that I think is both reasonable and highlights something entrepreneurs often overlook.
We get so focused on discovering and chasing after the big idea that we often pass up something smaller. We start equating size with value, and in the process, we miss the potential of something small to have a big consequence, like the Voyager program.
It becomes incredibly hard to give small it’s due when, going back to the space example, the news shows astronauts at the space station or talks about winning a trip to Mars. But while both of these stories captured our attention, it’s incredibly easy to forget that the U.S. no longer supports manned spaceflight and going to Mars is still just a big idea. Yet Voyager I and II are still speeding away towards the boundary of our solar system, and in the process telling us amazing things about our universe.
So as you consider all the ideas you’ve got tucked away in your notebook, give the smaller ones another look. You may discover that the secret to succeeding as an entrepreneur comes in a small package.
Photo credit: NASA