I doubt that docking with the ISS is the end-goal of SpaceX. Musk talks about missions to Mars, and even helping to establish a human presence there. The latter certainly hasn't been done before.
My point was that, even at the 10-year mark, SpaceX is still working towards its goal -- a goal that may very well not yield its results until after the 20-year mark.
While I appreciate that Musk stands out partly as an exception to the rule, I think it's nevertheless reasonable to concede that not all entrepreneurs are focussed on 2-year goals.
The folks Hamming mentioned did things and discovered things that had never been done before.
SpaceX docking with the ISS? You know that has already been proven out; so not exactly fertile new ground to win a Nobel Prize with.