4 ms·

There are probably very few original ideas anyway. Google wasn't new, search engines already existed. Yahoo! wasn't new, web directories already existed. If you

There are probably very few original ideas anyway. Google wasn't new, search engines already existed. Yahoo! wasn't new, web directories already existed. If you trace it hard enough, you could get to filling cabinets and folders. Over the years, I have realized that the idea of 'idea' is itself problematic. It implies that you can describe something very complex with a simple phrase (in hindsight, of course). What was iPhone? A smartphone done right? To get to iPhone, Apple had to solve thousands of tiny problems and it's rather simplistic to say that other companies missed the wave because of complacence. You don't decide to make a better smartphone, and declare your victory. The same problem is with the word 'talent.' To quote lines from one of my favorite research papers: > What we call talent is no more than a projected reification of particular things done: hands placed correctly in the water, turns crisply executed, a head held high rather than low in the water. Through the notion of talent, we transform particular actions that a human being does into an object possessed, held in trust for the day when it will be revealed for all to see. I think better way to think about all this is in terms of problems and their solutions. If you know a your customers face certain problem and it has already been solved, go ahead and copy it. Customers don't care where the idea came from when you do what they want/need.

jacksmith21006 8y ago
Sometimes the key is taking a new approach and that is what makes the difference. I am old and remember at the time Google was started the thinking was get them to your site and keep them on your site. It is all about engagement. Well Google did a complete 180 from the conventional thinking and instead tried to get them their answer quick and send them on their way. Or the exact opposite industry thinking. Google since has done the same with several others things in the business realm like this example but even far more in the technical realm. Where they did 180 from the conventional wisdom and their approach turned out to be the better approach. I have often thought why Google is able to do this while most companies struggle with unique thinking or coming up with new solution? I can only explain it is because of culture and there must be someway they can tell in the interview process. But be curious on why others think Google is able to do this in a consistent manner? What is the ingredient that makes it possible? Or is because there is no penalty for trying and failing at Google so they get the attempts? A perfect example as I type this is Fuchsia and in particular the Zircon kernel.
beaconstudios 8y ago
or to put it another way - execution trumps ideation. A great idea executed badly (or even mediocrely) will still suck, but an average idea executed to perfection will have the opportunity to seize the market.
- snarf21 8y ago
  Exactly. My quote is ideas are nothing and at best a head start. Execution is everything and execution at scale is legendary.
- jimmydddd 8y ago
  "Ideas are just a multiplier of execution" https://sivers.org/multiply https://sivers.org/multiply
izacus 8y ago
This whole concept of idea ownership is pretty damaging to progress - most progress in 20th century was seeing several companies compete in same space and take ideas from competitors, iterating on them and integrating them in new, improved products. Imagine if one car company could "own" the idea of blind spot monitoring. Or navigation. Or rear view camera.
- nicbou 8y ago
  On the other hand, there is little incentive to spend a billion dollars developing a one dollar product if it gets copied by everyone else. It can incentivize stagnation.
  - simplify 8y ago
    I imagine that scenario applies to very few industries and should not dictate the norms of others.
  - shredprez 8y ago
    On still another hand, essentially placing a $1,000,000,000 barrier to entry on product innovation can incentivize stagnation as well.
- AngryData 8y ago
  I would go for much simpler things. Like a differential gear on your drive wheels. Without it, you either have a solid axle that literally drags and squeals your tires on every turn, or you only get one drive wheel so your car has a permanent biased to turn one direction and not the other. Or direct injection which would give a permanent advantage in fuel efficiency over competitors.

jacksmith21006 8y ago

Sometimes the key is taking a new approach and that is what makes the difference. I am old and remember at the time Google was started the thinking was get them to your site and keep them on your site. It is all about engagement. Well Google did a complete 180 from the conventional thinking and instead tried to get them their answer quick and send them on their way. Or the exact opposite industry thinking. Google since has done the same with several others things in the business realm like this example but even far more in the technical realm. Where they did 180 from the conventional wisdom and their approach turned out to be the better approach. I have often thought why Google is able to do this while most companies struggle with unique thinking or coming up with new solution? I can only explain it is because of culture and there must be someway they can tell in the interview process. But be curious on why others think Google is able to do this in a consistent manner? What is the ingredient that makes it possible? Or is because there is no penalty for trying and failing at Google so they get the attempts? A perfect example as I type this is Fuchsia and in particular the Zircon kernel.

beaconstudios 8y ago

or to put it another way - execution trumps ideation. A great idea executed badly (or even mediocrely) will still suck, but an average idea executed to perfection will have the opportunity to seize the market.

snarf21 8y ago
Exactly. My quote is ideas are nothing and at best a head start. Execution is everything and execution at scale is legendary.
jimmydddd 8y ago
"Ideas are just a multiplier of execution" https://sivers.org/multiply https://sivers.org/multiply

izacus 8y ago

This whole concept of idea ownership is pretty damaging to progress - most progress in 20th century was seeing several companies compete in same space and take ideas from competitors, iterating on them and integrating them in new, improved products. Imagine if one car company could "own" the idea of blind spot monitoring. Or navigation. Or rear view camera.

nicbou 8y ago
On the other hand, there is little incentive to spend a billion dollars developing a one dollar product if it gets copied by everyone else. It can incentivize stagnation.
- simplify 8y ago
  I imagine that scenario applies to very few industries and should not dictate the norms of others.
- shredprez 8y ago
  On still another hand, essentially placing a $1,000,000,000 barrier to entry on product innovation can incentivize stagnation as well.
AngryData 8y ago
I would go for much simpler things. Like a differential gear on your drive wheels. Without it, you either have a solid axle that literally drags and squeals your tires on every turn, or you only get one drive wheel so your car has a permanent biased to turn one direction and not the other. Or direct injection which would give a permanent advantage in fuel efficiency over competitors.