The other thing that has to be taken into consideration is the rapidly-changing world that we live in. Take Steemit, for example. Before the blockchain was invented, it would have been unthinkable that what you do here would be a lucrative opportunity for anyone.
The key is not both not being married to the past, as you clearly spell out above, but also keeping one's eyes open to new opportunities that people may have never conceived of in the past, and that many people miss in the present.