To be honest, I think Mark does a good job navigating this "tension" you raise John. I encountered something similar with Peace Tiles. Perhaps the most difficult challenge I encountered was something like:

• Starting something like Peace Tiles required a lot of heavy lifting by a small number of committed people who believe in the power of the idea

(Downside of this is that you get "boxed" or "pigeon holed" as the Such and Such guy - its a mixed blessing)

• Success of something like Peace Tiles depended on growing the number of people who believe in the power of the idea
• Sustainability of something like Peace Tiles required pushing "ownership" outward: ensuring space for people to "make it their own" - this can conflict at the strategic level

Just some thoughts. Being "famous" (which I define loosely as, "Your reputation precedes you") should be ancillary to the pursuit of an idea that you believe in IMHO.