One Idea Can Change the World

Every epic transformation began as nothing more than an idea.

Every. Single. One.

Some ideas lead to personal prosperity, while others enrich the world.

This is a day to honor the latter.

27 years ago today, a man named Tim Berners-Lee published a short summary of his vision of a global hyperlinked information system that we now know as the World Wide Web. In doing so, Berners-Lee fundamentally changed the world as we knew it.

His “short summary” is seen as a seismic event that sparked relationships, birthed life, spawned new industries and businesses, bolstered economies and created prosperity and purpose for millions of people across the globe.

Many became millionaires because of the World Wide Web.

But not Berners-Lee – a man who wanted his invention to remain free and open.

Instead, Berners-Lee chose to lead a quiet life in academia, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he runs a technical think tank that oversees the continued development of the Web.

This is the story of how one idea found its way into a short summary, setting off a chain reaction and leaving an indelible mark on the world.

Just one little selfless idea.

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