Permission

One of the things that frustrates me about science as a profession is that we are required to ask for permission. Science should be about discovery and problem solving, but instead, I think scientists spend much of their time writing grants or performing administrative duties. This is a problem for me since I have a demonstrated inability to write grants and thus have never managed to administer anything. 

Look at one of the biggest success stories in the past decade, Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook and built it up to the giant it is today in less than five years, all without asking for permission. He just did it. 

Is there a similar path for scientists, where an individual can have an idea and become successful without having to grovel for funding or go down the long, serf-like academic path?


Update: This idea of Permission came to me in a circuitous route. I think Larry Lessig was the first to suggest this idea that the most significant point to the Accidental Billionaire is that Zuckerberg built Facebook without permission. Props where they're due.