The quote discusses the influence of a specific cultural movement on innovation, particularly highlighting figures like Steve Jobs. It suggests that the visionaries of the twenty-first century, characterized as unconventional, came from a counterculture background. Their free-spirited approach allowed them to envision possibilities that were not bound by traditional hierarchical structures typically found in places like the East Coast, Europe, and Japan.

The author, Walter Isaacson, points out that the transformative ideas of the 1960s fostered a mindset that encourages creativity and imagination. This attitude was crucial for inventing new technologies and concepts, allowing these innovators to conceptualize worlds that had yet to be realized, ultimately shaping the future in ways that conventional thinkers could not foresee.