What does "it takes twenty years of hard work to become an overnight success" mean?

Question

What does "it takes twenty years of hard work to become an overnight success" mean?

Answer 1

it's like the story of the hundredth monkey - or maybe like a set of scales with a big weight at the other end - you keep plugging away adding small weights bit by bit till suddenly ......

the whole kit and caboodle collapses ....

or not

Answer 2

It means that you won't become so successful over night like a few people do, instead for you "over night" will take 20 years.

Answer 3

It means that there is no such thing as an overnight success!