3 ms·

I always understood it to mean that a good idea doesn’t sell unless you execute well on it, and also that an idea doesn’t need to be unique, it just needs to be

by Joeri 9y ago

I always understood it to mean that a good idea doesn’t sell unless you execute well on it, and also that an idea doesn’t need to be unique, it just needs to be executed better than the competitors.

ThomPete 9y ago
But that is also not always the case. If you are first to market you don't need to be executing better than the competitors since they don't necessarily exist. It's way more complex and subtle than the "execution is all that matters" or the "my idea is secured in a password protected powerpoint" camp. I have helped over a 100 startups and at least in my experience, it's not more correct to say execution is all that matters than to say ideas are all that matter. Plenty of well-executed ideas don't ever go anywhere because the ideas were wrong, to begin with. In the context of this otherwise fine list by Patrick this is just particularly problematic because it's wrong in a non-obvious way but sounds right.
- solatic 9y ago
  > Plenty of well-executed ideas don't ever go anywhere because the ideas were wrong, to begin with. Or, to put it another way, the founders made an MVP from their initial (for argument's sake, poor) idea, and then couldn't find product-market fit before running out of (bootstrapped or VC-funded) runway. Your argument, then, is that some ideas and MVPs make it impossible to find product-market fit, no matter who the founders / executive team are, because there is no market or whatever other reason beyond the startup's control. And you would be correct if it wasn't possible for startups to pivot. But they do, sometimes multiple times, and sometimes successfully. Part of the reason why execution is everything is because good executives can take what the startup has learned about its product and its market, understand that the startup's current trajectory leads to bankruptcy, and make the necessary pivot which presents better odds at viability.
  - ThomPete 9y ago
    Startups pivoting is because their original idea didn't go anywhere. Plenty of startups pivot and never get anywhere. Again this obsessions witch claiming execution as somehow being in opposition to idea is what's wrong here. Both are important.

by Joeri 9y ago

ThomPete 9y ago

But that is also not always the case. If you are first to market you don't need to be executing better than the competitors since they don't necessarily exist. It's way more complex and subtle than the "execution is all that matters" or the "my idea is secured in a password protected powerpoint" camp. I have helped over a 100 startups and at least in my experience, it's not more correct to say execution is all that matters than to say ideas are all that matter. Plenty of well-executed ideas don't ever go anywhere because the ideas were wrong, to begin with. In the context of this otherwise fine list by Patrick this is just particularly problematic because it's wrong in a non-obvious way but sounds right.

solatic 9y ago
> Plenty of well-executed ideas don't ever go anywhere because the ideas were wrong, to begin with. Or, to put it another way, the founders made an MVP from their initial (for argument's sake, poor) idea, and then couldn't find product-market fit before running out of (bootstrapped or VC-funded) runway. Your argument, then, is that some ideas and MVPs make it impossible to find product-market fit, no matter who the founders / executive team are, because there is no market or whatever other reason beyond the startup's control. And you would be correct if it wasn't possible for startups to pivot. But they do, sometimes multiple times, and sometimes successfully. Part of the reason why execution is everything is because good executives can take what the startup has learned about its product and its market, understand that the startup's current trajectory leads to bankruptcy, and make the necessary pivot which presents better odds at viability.
- ThomPete 9y ago
  Startups pivoting is because their original idea didn't go anywhere. Plenty of startups pivot and never get anywhere. Again this obsessions witch claiming execution as somehow being in opposition to idea is what's wrong here. Both are important.