And even truly failing there would be irrelevant. Spruce Goose flew once, yet Hughes isn't a failure. Goddard developed his engines alone and didn't get too far - after initial successes, but he's not a failure at all. You just have to push enough to get high grades - possibly even once, after which you have that "mark". Not too many know what Max Plank did beside quantum hypotheses, but his name is on scientific centers.
