The cliché image of someone being struck by a billion-dollar idea is a bright lightbulb glowing over their head. But in the case of Sir James Dyson, the inventive mastermind behind the iconic Dyson vacuum cleaner, a more apt image is a lightbulb over his head that keeps flickering on and off, giving him a headache.

The legendary engineer and entrepreneur — whose name is now synonymous with innovative products — says the root of his big idea was annoyance. He was using a vacuum cleaner that just didn’t do the job he needed it to do, got angry about it, and so went to work building something that totally sucked in the best way possible. He accomplished that goal and a whole lot more.

Dyson spoke with me on our show, How Success Happens , about his process and his passions, which extend

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