We all know that one person who’s really good at something but hasn’t had any success — and we’ve all heard of someone who hasn’t really done all that much but is really famous for some reason. We’re not pointing any fingers but these things do happen. Success is not just a function of how good you are. It’s a complex societal matter, and it’s been that way for centuries. Think of 15th century Florence, for instance. They had Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. They had a dozens of extremely accomplished painters and artists. But nearby Milan, a city of comparable stature and background, h…