October 21, 1879, we could consider the day the light bulb was invented. Or rather, the first commercial version of the light bulb has been perfected. The inventor obviously was Thomas Edison: it is said that to get to that version he had done experiments with over 6 thousand vegetable fibers for over 18 months investing 40 thousand dollars, which is equivalent to about one million today. Edison conducted 1200 experiments up to the final one, using carbonized cotton fiber capable of running for 13 and a half consecutive hours.
Speaking of the many failed experiments, Edison has been credited with some famous phrases quoted in manager and startupper courses. Like: “Most of a person’s failures depend on not realizing how close you are to success when you give up.” Or: “The surest way to be successful is to try one more time”. Or also: “When all possibilities are over, remember that they are not over.” But speaking of the many failed experiments before finding a way to make a light bulb last for a long time, this maxim is remembered: “I made no mistakes, I proved 10 thousand times the way it wouldn’t work.”
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