The First Ones

FreeMan said - "...(W)e look at the first ones as having to be perfect."

True.
But the thing is - they didn't have to be perfect - they only had to be the first.
A lot of it was just time and place - there is no great skill required.
But these firsts are required for others to break through for themselves.

Imagine a dike with a small crack. (No, not that type of Dike.)
At first, only a trickle is able to escape the man-made barrier which is segregating the mass of water on one side from the fertile cultured lands below.
But then that trickle becomes a larger leak which allows more water through the structure.
Those who've built the barrier fear being inundated by water so they panic.
A smart little boy places his finger in the hole to keep any more water from bursting through the barrier.
End of story.

End of story?
Nope.
The barrier has actually been weakened by the cracks created by the first few drops.
The pressure from behind the dike builds until the barrier can no longer hold.
The cultivated lands become overrun with life giving water. (Which life is inherent in it's being.)
The soot from behind the dam adds nutrients to the low lying soil and the land becomes even more fertile.
Those who'd built the dam realize that the barrier was doing them more harm than good.
That they were creating a problem far worse than what would have occurred naturally.
That they needed the infusion of nutrients hidden behind their dam in order for all to succeed.
And the water is free to flow in it's natural state.
That is the true end of the story.