"Ideas are Cheap, Execution is Everything" What a Load of Bullshit!
Maybe the Ideas in Your Head are Not that Great. Hear Me Out!
You've probably heard it a thousand times: "Ideas are a dime a dozen, but it's the execution that counts." Every startup guru seems to parrot this line like it's the gospel truth. But I call bullshit.
Anyone can cook; it's coming up with the recipe that's the hard part.
Coming up with the recipe requires the creative spark, the ability to put together disparate elements in a new way, to see connections where others might not. It's not just about following a formula, it's about making your own formula.
It's a creative process that's much more challenging than simply following a set of instructions, like execution which is largely a mechanical gig, simply going through the motions that don’t require any real creativity or originality.
There are proven playbooks for execution. But no step-by-step process for creative ideation. Execution can be systemized with business plans, product development, marketing campaigns, operational stuff, and more. Execution builds on what's already been done, not pure innovation.
The real hard shit is taking a fuzzy, abstract idea and breaking it down into discrete parts that can be tackled one at a time so that any average Joe can execute it. Yes, decomposing it in a way that makes it actionable and executable is the hardest part.
It's a rare skill because it requires both creative, "big picture" thinking and very logical, step-by-step thinking. It's a marriage of two very different mindsets, and that's what makes it so difficult.
Dissecting a brilliant idea into executable chunks is a high form of art. It's where the abstract meets the concrete, where vision gets translated into reality.
If the execution doesn't feel buttery smooth, it's because I messed up at the ideation stage, not breaking things down into bite-sized, doable tasks or executable units.
It implies I didn't invest enough effort in defining the problem to make it nearly self-executable. That's why the whole 'Ideas are cheap, execution is everything' line bugs me.
Oh, and by the way, I totally didn't factor in those random hiccups. We're all supposed to be adaptable, roll with the punches, and shift gears when necessary. And for the record, I'm not all about over-engineering stuff.