Heroism is a very old-fashioned concept [not in New York]. We no longer believe that progress is created by individuals. [We don’t? Huh. Thanks for letting us know.] Whether you follow Karl Marx, Adam Smith, Charles Darwin or Francis Fukuyama [F*** my mother??!!? Sheesh.], it’s fashionable to think of history, politics and markets in deterministic terms. We know we are all subject to huge forces outside our control [like, bad gas?].

But there are still times when the actions of individuals and groups make a difference. When rapid, violent change or disaster occurs, heroes (and villains) shape the outcome. Would Al Gore have invaded Iraq? [Eh?] It’s the same when new markets and new technologies arise. [Well, actually, it isn’t.] Many technologies fail because they are championed by the wrong people or the wrong organizations. [True, true... Stalin really ruined FDDI for the rest of us.]

Wi-Fi is a tough game to be in. [I'm so sorry.] There's no "wall of money" waiting to finance Wi-Fi businesses. [Where's my violin?] There are no easy sales out there [Oh, boo hoo!]– enterprise IT managers and service providers will never spend again like they did in 1999/2000. [This is actually a good thing, by the by.] Technology standards are still uncertain and evolving, which means there aren't great economies of scale. I believe the phenomenal success of Wi-Fi owes a lot to a new generation of heroes and heroines: risk-takers, innovators and stubborn outsiders who refuse to give up."