What is special about Afghanistan is that Mr Obama rejected both of the big ideas his subordinates promoted in the great hand-wringing review the White House conducted in the autumn of 2009.
But to do so, like all great brand ideas, it has to have the power to motivate and inspire both those charged with bringing it to life, and those on the receiving end of the message.
Investors in both sectors agreed they look for the same thing: great leaders, ambitious and scalable business plans and ideas that could have a big impact.