5 ms·

Finding a good idea is the easy part.

enraged_camel 9y ago
I used to think so as well, but over the years, I've realized that execution is the easy part, at least for me. Finding good ideas, as in ideas that can lead to profitable businesses, is difficult because it requires deep domain expertise.
- throwaway0255 9y ago
  Yeah I used to think so too. Now I just think it's a thing people like to say to emphasize how difficult and important execution is. But execution mattering doesn't mean ideas are easy. Ideas are really, really hard. Good ideas are the result of an extraordinary feat of luck, an extraordinary feat of outworking everyone around you to get very deep domain expertise, or a combination of both.
  - AznHisoka 9y ago
    I’m so glad so many more people are disagreeing with the truism “ideas are cheap”. Everytime people say that, I have to roll my eyes. Like really? execution is hard but easier as its operating within known boundaries and restrictions.
- throwaway_yaron 9y ago
  I guess different people really ARE good at different things ;) I am not gonna say great ideas are easy - but if u r a tech lead, you should have domain insights, and several high potential product/idea. But just deciding on what to focus is difficult. Cold calling is difficult. Pitching to complete strangers. Starting to buy leads, faking it - all these do not come naturally to many people. Also - i have to point out that i met some people which could have been a good match. But when the opening line is "50%-50% share before we start" - that is also a difficult bump to get over.
- imtringued 9y ago
  If execution is so easy for you I have a lot of ideas for you. Build me a real working space shuttle for $10. >Finding good ideas, as in ideas that can lead to profitable businesses, is difficult because it requires deep domain expertise. A good idea is not just the idea itself, it also considers feasability of execution. Saying execution is less important than an idea that you can execute well is a tautology.
throwaway0255 9y ago
Really? Because I've never been able to think of one. And every successful company I've seen grew out from an idea the founder had only because they were coincidentally deeply involved in some specific area of some market and something just clicked. It all seems extremely difficult to reproduce. If it's so easy to come up with good ideas, then why does random happenstance seem to be the most common way founders come up with their initial ideas?
- brucephillips 9y ago
  There's a strong bias for founders to describe their founding story as a "Eureka!" moment. Don't fall for this. Most founders come up with ideas because they're looking for them.
- slinger 9y ago
  Also if it's so easy, why these kind of posts frequently appears on the front page of HN? How to find a good idea worth pursuing seems to be a common question among aspiring intrepreneurs
danieltillett 9y ago
No it isn't [0]. 0. https://www.tillett.info/2015/08/30/ideas-are-not-cheap/ https://www.tillett.info/2015/08/30/ideas-are-not-cheap/
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

I used to think so as well, but over the years, I've realized that execution is the easy part, at least for me. Finding good ideas, as in ideas that can lead to profitable businesses, is difficult because it requires deep domain expertise.

throwaway0255 9y ago
Yeah I used to think so too. Now I just think it's a thing people like to say to emphasize how difficult and important execution is. But execution mattering doesn't mean ideas are easy. Ideas are really, really hard. Good ideas are the result of an extraordinary feat of luck, an extraordinary feat of outworking everyone around you to get very deep domain expertise, or a combination of both.
- AznHisoka 9y ago
  I’m so glad so many more people are disagreeing with the truism “ideas are cheap”. Everytime people say that, I have to roll my eyes. Like really? execution is hard but easier as its operating within known boundaries and restrictions.
throwaway_yaron 9y ago
I guess different people really ARE good at different things ;) I am not gonna say great ideas are easy - but if u r a tech lead, you should have domain insights, and several high potential product/idea. But just deciding on what to focus is difficult. Cold calling is difficult. Pitching to complete strangers. Starting to buy leads, faking it - all these do not come naturally to many people. Also - i have to point out that i met some people which could have been a good match. But when the opening line is "50%-50% share before we start" - that is also a difficult bump to get over.
imtringued 9y ago
If execution is so easy for you I have a lot of ideas for you. Build me a real working space shuttle for $10. >Finding good ideas, as in ideas that can lead to profitable businesses, is difficult because it requires deep domain expertise. A good idea is not just the idea itself, it also considers feasability of execution. Saying execution is less important than an idea that you can execute well is a tautology.

throwaway0255 9y ago

Really? Because I've never been able to think of one. And every successful company I've seen grew out from an idea the founder had only because they were coincidentally deeply involved in some specific area of some market and something just clicked. It all seems extremely difficult to reproduce. If it's so easy to come up with good ideas, then why does random happenstance seem to be the most common way founders come up with their initial ideas?

brucephillips 9y ago
There's a strong bias for founders to describe their founding story as a "Eureka!" moment. Don't fall for this. Most founders come up with ideas because they're looking for them.
slinger 9y ago
Also if it's so easy, why these kind of posts frequently appears on the front page of HN? How to find a good idea worth pursuing seems to be a common question among aspiring intrepreneurs

danieltillett 9y ago

No it isn't [0]. 0. https://www.tillett.info/2015/08/30/ideas-are-not-cheap/ https://www.tillett.info/2015/08/30/ideas-are-not-cheap/

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]