While Edison’s genius spawned many seminal inventions of the modern world, his greatest invention may have been the first industrial research laboratory—a prototype for today’s large corporate research and development centers.

Edison was also a savvy businessman and shrewd manager with enormous talent for transferring technology from laboratory to market. He designed economic considerations into nearly all of his inventions and recognized the critical role that promotion and hustle play in a product’s success. His insight sets a powerful, instructive model for corporate leaders even today.