It cuts both ways. Bill Gates certainly didn’t come up with certain technologies, but he did have the vision about how to use them to create value and execute on those ideas. Apple and Microsoft were similar companies in the sense that they has certain core competencies that they excelled at, but that left many areas they were terrible at. And they are both still around today, because of the successes in the areas they excelled at.
Of course it cuts both ways. But the iGroupies always think their iGod wills all their technology from silicon and the blowing winds coming from the pursed lips of iShiva.