I pretty much agree with this. In fact, when execution can be cast as implementing a computer program, one can be very formal about comparing ideas and executi

I pretty much agree with this. In fact, when execution can be cast as implementing a computer program, one can be very formal about comparing ideas and execution; they are related the same way theorems and proofs are. If we use the Curry-Howard isomorphism; the idea is often a type ("Let's make a program that turns X into Y!") (a theorem) and the execution is often a program (a term realizing that type) (the proof). So it seems that the value of an idea with no execution (which is not a theorem until it has been proved!) would be abstractly the same value as an unproved proposition. Except now, the proof not only says that the proposition is true, but also realizes whatever that proposition denotes, because it's a computer program. In that sense, execution of an idea is worth a lot more than the idea, because it also provides evidence that the idea is not nonsense. But who to give more credit to? The idea guy or the implementor? Consider that when we change even a little bit of our execution, we are changing the idea , because it will prove something different. In this sense, both the idea and execution are very much in the hands of the 'implementor,' and the 'idea guy' only provides initial inspiration, which by its commonality is pretty much worthless. Well, or maybe not; there is value in picking the right initial inspiration and perspective. Is that something only really experienced 'veterans', 'masters', 'talented people', and 'gurus' can have, or can it be explicitly trained and taught, so that this nebulous notion of 'having the right perspective' can be as simple and clear-cut as using a cookbook? I think the latter. What about when execution consists of other, non-programming factors like talking with the right people, or marketing or whatnot? It's certainly harder to formalize, but I wonder what value there is in treating the non-obviously-programming parts of what is viewed as 'execution' as just another kind of programming, but not done with the usual compilers/interpreters.