[coldtea]

>While learning from history is certainly paramount in software development, raw experimentation, naive excitement, and continuing in the face of nay-sayers is what pushes all industries forward.

Citation needed.

This "continuing in the face of nay-sayers" meme comes from old wives tales of "courageous inventors" that "went against the tide" etc.

In the general history of science and technology, those wasn't that many or important. They just make for a good media story.

The other side is more clear cut: incrementally building and learning from each field's history has been paramount.