Prometheus, in Greek mythology, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to human. In other words, he is the prototypical technology disruptor that started a new world as we know it.
A Greek Tragedy
Prometheus was punished by having an eagle eat his liver everyday only to have it grow back each night. (For those of us looking for a happy ending, Hercules killed the eagle and set Prometheus free, eventually.) For the modern Prometheus in all of us, while we aspire to bring about disruptive innovation, we also all aspire to avoid the same fate.
Prometheus Reconsidered
I would submit for your consideration that innovators today can easily identify with Prometheus in the effort required to bring a "fire" to the world. What has changed, however, is the recognition that successful innovation today is not about one person taking on all the risks but about building a robust ecosystem that would sustain itself.
To that end, I like to think that the mere mortals of today are luckier than Prometheus because we don't have to fight this battle alone.
Indeed, by banding together, we aim to defeat the eagle and be our own Hercules.
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