The point is well-illustrated, but not at all new. Jim Collins's book Good to Great dedicates an entire chapter to what he calls the flywheel effect. Consistent effort applied over a long period of time with a consistent vision can generate massive results. But, I doubt the concept was new with him, either.
By the way, if you haven't read Good to Great, I highly recommend it. Although based on large, slow-moving businesses, the general points Collins and his team extract are easily applicable to just about any significant project.
Long, long ago, when I was a Stanford undergrad, Jim Collins spoke in one of my classes. At the time, no one had ever heard of him. But he had a huge impact on me. As soon as I got back to my dorm room, I printed up a big sign reading "BHAG" and taped it above my desk!
By the way, if you haven't read Good to Great, I highly recommend it. Although based on large, slow-moving businesses, the general points Collins and his team extract are easily applicable to just about any significant project.