Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, novelist, and poet, passed away in 1900 in Paris completely bankrupt from paying legal fees for his arrest and imprisonment for the crime of homosexuality.

Vincent Van Gogh, the famed artist died in 1890 having sold only 1 painting despite making thousands of pieces of art. Popular recognition of his artistic work only came about after 1910.

Creators have it better today and it does not take a lifetime for getting the success they deserve. 

If someone has talent, obscurity is no longer an issue.

This does not mean that the creators have it easy. The thing is that to do anything remarkable you have to be wrong and spend years getting good at what you do before the world comes knocking at your doors.

So if you want to build something remarkable and are after greatness, be fine with not being understood by people for some time, to be said wrong until proven right and also to work in private before you are recognized for that work in public.