4 ms·

I agree there's a lot of this talk happening right now. In my view, the point here isn't that ideas are worthless, it's that ideas are worthless without execut

by joelg87 16y ago

I agree there's a lot of this talk happening right now. In my view, the point here isn't that ideas are worthless, it's that ideas are worthless without execution - this guy had an idea, and didn't act on it, and then saw a very similar idea succeed. I think ideas are very important, but I think persistence is even more important, and I like the fact that the initial idea doesn't need to be perfect since you can pivot (yes, another increasingly overused term!), e.g. Microsoft, Paypal, Flickr.

taphangum 16y ago
Agreed. The problem is that its intention often is misunderstood and it ends up just misleading people. It's supposed to be motivation for lazy entrepreneurs to DO something about their ideas but can be miscontrued and made to seem like any old idea, well executed, will win. Which from my limited experience so far, is just not true.
- joelg87 16y ago
  > can be miscontrued and made to seem like any old idea, well executed, will win I completely agree. Though I guess it depends what you define as "well executed" if it's just executing the tech behind the idea, then it's likely you end up with something potentially technically very good but which nobody wants. If we define "well executed" as involving tech and also customer development, then I think executing a bad idea well must entail pivoting and therefore you actually could end up with a winner. What do you think?
  - taphangum 16y ago
    I think that a bad idea becoming a good one is rare and almost like playing the lotto. Though i do agree that pivots rarely have anything to do with the tech involved. Sidenote: Speaking of ideas, i just checked out yours, MyOnePage, i had a different idea that, strangely enough, i think could work well with it. I'll send you an email in a mo explaining it (didn't find your email add in your profile. Send me a shout at t[at]thesketch.org or reply here) i'll contact you asap. :)
irickt 16y ago
Thomas Edison said it in 1929: "None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes. What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration."
- irickt 16y ago
  Contrast that engineer's perspective with the scientist's. Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

by joelg87 16y ago

taphangum 16y ago

Agreed. The problem is that its intention often is misunderstood and it ends up just misleading people. It's supposed to be motivation for lazy entrepreneurs to DO something about their ideas but can be miscontrued and made to seem like any old idea, well executed, will win. Which from my limited experience so far, is just not true.

joelg87 16y ago
> can be miscontrued and made to seem like any old idea, well executed, will win I completely agree. Though I guess it depends what you define as "well executed" if it's just executing the tech behind the idea, then it's likely you end up with something potentially technically very good but which nobody wants. If we define "well executed" as involving tech and also customer development, then I think executing a bad idea well must entail pivoting and therefore you actually could end up with a winner. What do you think?
- taphangum 16y ago
  I think that a bad idea becoming a good one is rare and almost like playing the lotto. Though i do agree that pivots rarely have anything to do with the tech involved. Sidenote: Speaking of ideas, i just checked out yours, MyOnePage, i had a different idea that, strangely enough, i think could work well with it. I'll send you an email in a mo explaining it (didn't find your email add in your profile. Send me a shout at t[at]thesketch.org or reply here) i'll contact you asap. :)

irickt 16y ago

Thomas Edison said it in 1929: "None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes. What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration."

irickt 16y ago
Contrast that engineer's perspective with the scientist's. Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”