Silicon Valley has always been driven by imitation and enhancement. There are few true breakout ideas: perfecting what someone else has already tried is usually the name of the game. With the right formula — like Google

in search, or Facebook  in social networking — the results can be spectacular, even if other companies have already tried to blaze the same trail. The obsessive pursuit of building a better mousetrap can leave entire fields unexplored.

This provides one more reason to ponder the meaning of Elon Musk. Rarely, in a potentially giant new tech market, does anyone gain a lead that can be measured in years. To do it in two new markets at the same time is unheard of. That kind of leadership, however, puts severe stress on the business and funding model of the pioneers.