The Unknown Geniuses Behind 10 Of The Most Useful Inventions Ever

1986: Twenty-somethings Scott Jones and Greg Carr bring voicemail to people everywhere

Whose idea: Scott Jones and Greg Carr

The inspiration: In 1986, Jones, an MIT researcher and Greg Carr, a Harvard grad student, decided to enter the telecommunications business together. They started their own company, Boston Technologies, and began working. Their first project was a system where you could dial a number and find out stock information, but Jones, the techie of the two, realized they had a much bigger idea in their hands.

The pair sensed that this was the opportunity to provide people everywhere with voicemail, but until 1988, all phone companies besides AT&T were legally banned from the service. When the ruling was finally reversed, the pair approached several telecom companies and got financial backing. Within 3 months, their ideas were realized.

What came of it: Voicemail, although dwindling in popularity with the advent of text messaging, is a staple of the telecommunications industry. As for Jones and Carr, they’re both multi-millionaires.