Assetmap Blog Company blog on how social capital is transforming business, culture and social change

Is it possible you’re attacking a straw man?

However much you’d like the conversation to move past the people who think an idea on its own is worth something, that’s not where we are yet. The dot-com bubble was filled with people who thought ideas on their own had value. Traditional design methods and design consultancies push that all the time, because that’s what they sell. Novice entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-wannabes turn up all the time thinking that having a good notion is the important part.

When I see people pushing back against this, it’s never to say that people shouldn’t have ideas, or take their ideas seriously. It’s to say that nobody should invest in ideas alone. Nobody should build businesses thinking that having an interesting notion or a vision is sufficient. And that an idea that hasn’t been tested and refined by trying real things on real people should be treated with deep suspicion. To put it in scientific language, they’re saying that hypotheses without data can be a good start, but nothing more. That properly developed theories come through experiment, not pure imagination.

I think that’s important to say in Silicon Valley precisely because you’re right about how faddish it is. Everybody here likes ideas and likes novelty. I’ve personally seen tens of millions of dollars wasted because people over-valued shiny ideas. I’ve watched people waste years because they never got feedback. After all, they had a perfect plan in a space that everybody agreed was hot, so why would they need proof?

The people I’ve heard say “ideas are worthless” are arguing against that. Who exactly is saying that ideas are truly of no importance, that one should just execute without purpose and without thinking deeply about what the results mean? Because the ones I know are saying, just like you are, that good ideas and good execution go hand in hand.

Hey William

Thanks for joining the conversation with your valuable thoughts. There may be a pendulum swinging here that I’m on one side of while you’ve seen the arc being here longer.

What I am reacting too is how the conversation in the air about the value of ideas in influencing the behavior of 20 and 30 something entrepreneurs in the Valley. I’ve heard probably five friends companies telling me their “pivoting” in the last few months, despite having released products weeks or at most months earlier. That’s not a recipe for building lasting value.

What’s more, there’s this whole passionate culture around how fast people have started things. “We made this overnight!” “We coded this in a weekend!” “We build this while you were reading a magazine in the bathroom!”

My argument definitely isn’t against getting things out there quicker. I think, on the whole, the agile movement, the lean startup, yc – all of this stuff has been immensely more positive than negative for the whole startup space.

But the downside is that this obsession with pivoting and rapid development, while well suited to certain classes of consumer products reduces our attention span for people who are working on different types of problems.

Your point about evidence is well-taken and I’m absolutely not arguing against a ditching of these methodologies that are making people smarter about how to evolve their ideas. But I see a lot of young entrepreneurs taking it to far and just sorta doing stuff to see what works.

Hey William

Thanks for joining the conversation with your valuable thoughts. There may be a pendulum swinging here that I’m on one side of while you’ve seen the arc being here longer.

What I am reacting too is how the conversation in the air about the value of ideas in influencing the behavior of 20 and 30 something entrepreneurs in the Valley. I’ve heard probably five friends companies telling me their “pivoting” in the last few months, despite having released products weeks or at most months earlier. That’s not a recipe for building lasting value.

What’s more, there’s this whole passionate culture around how fast people have started things. “We made this overnight!” “We coded this in a weekend!” “We build this while you were reading a magazine in the bathroom!”

My argument definitely isn’t against getting things out there quicker. I think, on the whole, the agile movement, the lean startup, yc – all of this stuff has been immensely more positive than negative for the whole startup space.

But the downside is that this obsession with pivoting and rapid development, while well suited to certain classes of consumer products reduces our attention span for people who are working on different types of problems.

Your point about evidence is well-taken and I’m absolutely not arguing against a ditching of these methodologies that are making people smarter about how to evolve their ideas. But I see a lot of young entrepreneurs taking it to far and just sorta doing stuff to see what works.

Great post Nathaniel.

It’s definitely about having a vision (i.e well thought out idea that takes into account trends and behavior) and testing it against reality.

Your thoughts are consistent with the developmental model of entrepreneurship I’ve been working on. I see way too many people focusing on building a product quickly and getting to product market fit, before first having a really solid problem/solution hypotheses. And very frequently I see people focused almost entirely on the solution or just throwing stuff out there, without a deep understanding of what problem they’re trying to solve. I think premature pivoting is mostly due to the weakness of their problem hypotheses. But that I think is related to the deeper question of why someone is an entrepreneur in the first place. Do they just like building for buildings sake? Do they just want to build something cool? Do they just want to make money quickly? Or are they an entrepreneur because they believe it’s the best way to solve certain types of problems.

i really get frustrated with entrepreneurs who can’t stick to a plan when they face obstacles, and listen to each new voice and fluctuate and flutter in the wind.

plans change. you react to the market. but you stay focused. i have been trying to accelerate the flow of capital to good for a decade. it is working.

Thanks for articulating a feeling I’ve had in my gut for awhile, Nathaniel.

I’ve received a lot of rapid development & pivot advice about my startup. Much of it is good advice, but some of it just doesn’t make sense. That is, it would make sense if my goal was to make money by finding a niche market need that I can quickly exploit. But that’s not my goal. My goal is to create a service that not only solves problems, but that also fundamentally changes the way that people interact with each other over the long-term. That’s a process that takes a little while, and it takes sticking to your guns while you give people a chance to get over the shock of something they’re not used to. (Glad you mentioned the Facebook newsfeed – great example.)

When I teach workshops on political campaigning, I use the example of a boxer in training. A boxer needs to be quick and agile… but he also needs to have a solid center of gravity in order to pivot precisely. Otherwise he’ll just flail around and wear himself out. In the context of a campaign, that means having a long-term vision of what success looks like and a plan for achieving it (Goal & Strategy) so that you can change your tactics on the fly when necessary. In fact, that long-term thinking (what you refer to as “ideas” in this post) gives you the grounding to know that you’re pivoting around your target rather than running away from it.

I think you’ve misunderstood what’s meant by “idea.” The “idea” is the starting concept. “Execution” is literally everything else — everything that isn’t the starting concept. “Execution” means values, pragmatism, persistence, pivoting, even the “new” idea that wasn’t the starting concept.

When you put it that way, it seems obvious that the “idea” isn’t the most important thing; the point seems trivial.

So why is this trivial point so frequently repeated? Unfortunately, too many people still don’t know it. Anybody who knows how to program has had some half-hearted wannabe entrepreneur come up uninvited and say “hey, I’ve got a great idea, and if you’ll program it for me, I’ll share the revenue with you 50/50.”

That part of the idea is not worth 50/50, because it isn’t worth anything. That idea will never succeed; it won’t make a penny. It’s especially bad when they try to get you to sign an NDA. If the idea needs to be protected by an NDA, then as soon as you do it publicly, any large organization can copy it, and move the ball forward faster than you.

Those losers don’t know the FIRST THING about running a business… and they’re coming out of the woodwork!

I’m glad to see the counterbalance to this “ideas are worthless, execution is everything” meme take shape. I think we can all agree that execution is superbly important in any venture. However, blindly stumbling about while you hope your customers give your vacuous thoughts a form from which you can profit is a little too wishful. Pivoting is good but, like all things, should be practiced pragmatically.

We must take ideas for what they are: an important step in both the creation and evolution of a concept (or business). I don’t want to be lazy when it comes to ideas, I want to strenuously evaluate and test them. If I can validate an idea through feedback or user research, it gives me the confidence to stand behind it for long enough to see how it will play out. Only once serious consideration has been given can we make the decision that the idea isn’t going to work out. Otherwise, how are we to know when we should stick to our guns and when we should bail?

I’m attempting to build a community focused on tech ideas; a place where we can give awesome feedback, facilitate cross-pollination, and open opportunities for serendipitous collaborations. I’d love to hear your thoughts on using social to improve and formalize idea vetting.

Great post.

I think one of the problems is with semantics. People hear the word ‘idea’ and think of something superficial and insubstantial. It might be better to start calling it a solution design/model/concept than an idea.

A solution design is something which can evolve over time, but even at its inception, requires considerate observation, research, thought, and understanding, processes which are too often undervalued or overlooked during the chase for execution.

nice post. “ideas are worthless” is just an idea

Great post, but I largely agree with Dan Fabulich, above. It really depends on what you mean by idea, and as someone who has crossed over from software into another field (healthcare), I’ve been approached by many people with nothing more than an idea that they hope I can convert into a business for them for just a minor cut of their (assumed) future profits.

I’m also not sure that YC is to blame in this. I audited an entrepreneurship course at Tuck Business School a few years back. That’s on the opposite coast from Silicon Valley, and the prof’s past industry experience was oil & gas. But the very first thing that he pounded into us was — you guessed it — “Ideas don’t matter.” As he put it, “You have no idea how many times a student has come to me with what they think is a great idea that they want to patent and sell to pay off their loans.” It doesn’t happen that way. The lesson, don’t be protective about your ideas, get out there and talk about them so you can find people to help you build them.

You make a great point about people pivoting too early and too often, but I’m not sure that it’s the “ideas don’t matter” concept that’s too blame. I’d say they are orthogonal.

Thanks for blowing up the bogus ideas vs execution dichotomy. It’s completely unhelpful. The key to success is to have the right idea. But how do you know if your idea is right? I believe we can use a scientific approach to find out.

For the record, I believe that having a short attention span is a major liability for an entrepreneur, lean or otherwise. Constant pivoting is just as dangerous as blind perseverance.

Thanks for joining the conversation Eric!

Thanks for your thoughts Dan. I totally appreciate how frustrating it is for developers to have people view them as replaceble cogs in the entrepreneurial process.

That said, there isn’t a fixed thing that is “the idea” – your definition is just one, and a very different definition than that I give above. Second, what designers react against and get frustrated by in this conversation is the inverse of your frustration. When developers talk about ideas not mattering, and are told they’re valueless because they can’t code, it’s the same sort of ignorant slap in the face.

This is not a rejection of your point, just a validation and an extension: the conversation just needs to be smarter and we need to recognize the different pieces that make these things work.

Hey Dave, thanks for joining. Your idea for a community sounds cool; the trick is obviously building trust, respect and willingness to share, of course, but it seems like something that could be valuable – particularly as entrepreneurship increases.

Thanks for injecting the Tuck context, Scott. I think the conversation that feels like it matters most to me is the one where we’re all on the same page about ignoring the people who just assume their ideas are gold, and talk about how to actually understand the connection between ideas and execution for serious entrepreneurs, without all the hyperbole.

“solution design” is a great phrasing – sounds a lot like what Max was saying above!

Micah, thanks for this. This reminds me of something that Ben from Change once said, which was basically that “he wasn’t agnostic about the problem he was solving,” and the (taken too far) logical conclusion of some of these ideas was to find any problem that you could solve. I think your startup is an example – certainly Assetmap is – of being clear on what problem you want to solve and having to work within that context.

Funny, I was finishing a post on this issue before I found this one (http://eshadah.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/why-sharing-business-ideas-is-better-than-keeping-them-to-yourself/). I disagree that business ideas matter, because a real sustainable business can only be built by following an iterative approach where learning is paramount. An Idea + Iterations = Value (if and only if there is a real market opportunity). Happy new year to all.

Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

@znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Amen! RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (Thank you for this, Nathaniel!)

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Regarding ideas and development teams, I like the perspective from Ed Catmull of Pixar…

“If you give a good idea to a mediocre team they will screw it up; if you give a mediocre idea to a great team they will either fix it of throw it way and come up with something that works.”

During development, there are millions of ideas and decisions. Some are executed. Some are discussed by executives in a board room. Some reside within a short attention span (such as ‘What should I do in the next 5 minutes?’). Some are instantaneous (such as ‘Should I refactor now?)

There is a progression from an early idea (product concept) to a solution that target customers will purchase and recommend to their friends. In the preferred scenario, the potential value of an idea builds as the team learns and validates assumptions. Everett Rogers called this ‘adoption potential.’

Development isn’t done until ideas from many disciplines have been integrated successfully in your product and an abundant number of your target customers purchase and recommend your solution.

RT @jscarantino: RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS // Finally, someone says it!

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: http://bit.ly/dNjGK5

RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

having ideas is like saying that you are thinking. Its inert.

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

http://blog.assetmap.com/2011/01/social-web/lets-end-the-ideas-are-worthless-myth/ < Highly insightful post.

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

Let?s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless – http://bit.ly/gU5Al8 – [Hacker News Top]

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap: http://is.gd/jYHBN

RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS » Agreed! (Good points)

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: http://bit.ly/ejwrsq Comments: http://bit.ly/fqvbQ8

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

“@nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right”

“@nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right”

“@nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right”

RT @HildyGottlieb: Amen! RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (Thank you for this, Natha …

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

RT @nlw: @znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: @znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: @znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: @znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: @znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: @znmeb @WendyNorris @chazdazzle @mikedelponte posted "Lets End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/i2NkX

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/i2NkX

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/i2NkX

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/i2NkX

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://digfoc.us/er1ZvH

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://digfoc.us/er1ZvH

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://digfoc.us/er1ZvH

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://bit.ly/i5OJDY

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://bit.ly/i5OJDY

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://bit.ly/i5OJDY

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://goo.gl/fb/dOS8A

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/nqu3g

HNews: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/flivvp

HNews: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/flivvp

HNews: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/flivvp

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://j.mp/h7bXIw

Lets End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/fJmqpk (http://bit.ly/gEERWr) #active

Lets End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/fJmqpk (http://bit.ly/gEERWr) #active (via @newsyc20)

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless (Nathaniel Whittemore/Assetmap) http://bit.ly/dNjGK5

RT @newsyc20: Lets End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/fJmqpk (http://bit.ly/gEERWr) #active

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

http://blog.assetmap.com/2011/01/social-web/lets-end-the-ideas-are-worthless-myth/

Good post on execution vs ideas http://bit.ly/i4wDo9

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap: http://disq.us/wkr5n (@assetmap)

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap: This conversation matters a great deal because Silicon V… http://bit.ly/hdbLVN

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @HackerNewsYC: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds

RT @jorgebarba: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap: http://disq.us/wkr5n (@assetmap)

http://goo.gl/fb/BzEds /via @HackerNewsYC likely the best article I have read in a long time.

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hoDkkL

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 by @nlw

> @Tech_Blend: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://goo.gl/xuxWm

It’s kind of difficult to read all the body text with the 3D effect. No problem in the headers, but for small characters it’s not as readible as flat text.

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Lets End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/fJmqpk (http://bit.ly/gEERWr) #active

http://blog.assetmap.com/2011/01/social-web/lets-end-the-ideas-are-worthless-myth/

Great essay on the risks of SV echo chamber and the nuances of every debate: Let's End the Myth that Ideas as Worthless http://bit.ly/dT7Ruc

RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

@infoarbitrage @assetmap re: http://bit.ly/easSVS -> Ideas, passion and innovation = foundation for all. Then, you need to execute on them!

[Jives] RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://goo.gl/yx5Hx

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

The Lean Startup Methodology is the most influential intellectual force in the Valley right now. http://j.mp/gQ56xx

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS (blog back up – and on the front page of Hacker News!)

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

It strikes me most start-ups are taking bets on human behaviour and perhaps how quickly it will change or how quickly it can be changed. The interesting thing, though, is how much attention is paid to this – how many start-ups will sit down and think about human behaviour or try to study it and understand how they can influence it? Ditto their own behaviour as entrepreneurs (and all the cognitive biases that come with it, eg overconfidence, overoptimism etc).

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

http://bit.ly/hKC7Lk – Ideas are not important is a myth – an interesting view point!

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless: interesting blog post from AssetMap. comments http://twurl.nl/xkypqh

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

Great essay on the risks of SV echo chamber and the nuances of every debate: Let's End the Myth that Ideas as Worthless http://bit.ly/dT7Ruc

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://bit.ly/i5BCQY

@nlw Thought provoking essay on the "myth that ideas are worthless" http://goo.gl/XEpMj #change.org #YC

RT @jongos: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://bit.ly/i5BCQY

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

A startup idea is an assertion about two things; a problem that people have and a way to solve it. http://j.mp/f9YIuZ

Great read: it's both Ideas & Execution that are important, not only the last one. http://icio.us/ghLHRZ

http://tinyurl.com/23va3ge
Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap

Let's end this topic, #tiring > RT @newsyc20: Lets End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/fJmqpk (http://bit.ly/gEERWr)

"Ultimately, the dichotomy between idea and execution is false." http://bit.ly/hCT0Zc /cc @socialentrprnr

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/h9HOWr #mustread

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/f4zSHu

RT @ScepticGeek: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/h9HOWr #mustread

RT @ScepticGeek: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/h9HOWr #mustread

RT @ScepticGeek: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/h9HOWr #mustread

RT @ScepticGeek: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/h9HOWr #mustread

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless: Comments http://bit.ly/i5OJDY

Great article. RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

2 photos http://ff.im/-wckUH

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/htRdys http://ff.im/-wclhw

RT @ScepticGeek: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/h9HOWr #mustread

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

#ideas Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless: http://me.lt/4o8lp

“Execution means lots of shifts” doesn't translate into “ideas r worthless” Though the latter is a convenient heuristic http://bit.ly/hetXBK

Finally! RT @sachinrekhi: http://bit.ly/dT7Ruc Great essay on the risks of SV echo chamber and the nuances of every debate: Let's End…

Awesome RT @sachinrekhi: Great essay on the risks of SV echo chamber and … Let's End the Myth that Ideas as Worthless http://bit.ly/dT7Ruc

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://dlvr.it/CYp6s

Move away from reductionist convos & recognize the complexity of creation to position our ecosystem to amplify innovation http://me.lt/4o8lp

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless: http://bit.ly/hier7U

Let’s End the Myth that #Ideas are Worthless. /by @assetmap http://bit.ly/ecjYpQ #VC #Entrepreneurship #Innovation

Great post. "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/fiEOwb

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap: Let’s End the Myth that #Ideas are Worthless. /by @asset… http://bit.ly/dNjGK5

startup idea is an assertion about two things; a problem that people have and a way to solve it. –> http://tinyurl.com/23va3ge

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://lwrb.in/eUpEVv

“If you give a good idea to a mediocre team they will screw it up; if you give a mediocre idea to a great team they will either fix it of throw it way and come up with something that works.”
This sort of hints that “great team” means both good implementers (execution team) AND good thinkers, because a great team of implementers that are not great thinkers can’t do anything to improve a mediocre idea (as it requires good thinking process).
And trust me, as I’ve met plenty of people who can execute great but cannot think very hard. Give those people a mediocre/bad idea, and they’ll waste their time and get nowhere.
And this is pretty much the point… A weak idea given to a team of great implementers have exactly the same chance of succeeding as great idea with weak team of executioners.
A “great” team, in Ed Catmull’s words would be BOTH great execution AND great thinking. Now, that pretty much puts idea and execution on the same level, as this article hints.
So, if you don’t have a good idea AND a good execution, you are just betting on luck, trend or lack of competition of any sort.
Lastly, if I may.. I DO think that it’s harder to find good thinkers than good executioners, and certainly harder to hire them for merely a salary. It is therefore my view that good ideas are somewhat more important, as you can tell if an execution of an idea is bad, long before you can tell if an idea is bad, especially if it’s well executed.

Great post, Nathaniel. Very well written. You have a talent for kicking off addictive memes (like the life investing one). I’m happy to see everyone getting excited about an important topic.

I’ve thought about this a lot, both as the founder and now as an employee of a start-up. As Eric said in an earlier comment, it’s about finding the right idea. I appreciate how Eric and Steve Blank have given us methodologies to know when to pivot, when to keep testing, and when to crank things up because product market fit has been achieved.

If you haven’t used this tool yet, check it out http://www.survey.io. Very helpful!

Thanks for kicking off an alternate view of this conversation, Nathaniel.

Thanks Mike. I hadn’t seen Survey.io but we’re using Kissinsights, which is just absolutely awesome. Thanks for the tip!

I think you’re on to something here. Judgement is critical. Ideas need validation NOT just execution. Money will allow you to execute, validation allows you to refine and iterate into a business that is profitable. And to me that’s the really critical element that is missing in virtually every post I read these days. Entrepreneurs solve real customer problems and “generate measurable sustainable profits from revenue”. The last point is critical. It’s all about earnings (or it should be). Earnings and cash flow allow you to measure your return on invested capital. Anything else is just window dressing. Judgement is vital if you’re to succeed in building a real business. Keep the ideas coming, but validate and drive to positive cash flow and real earnings… then you have a business.

Thanks Peter. I think this is sort of a key point. The smarter, refined discipline in the way we acquire and measure customer feedback is amazing. But for me that is still largely reactive to things that are being tested. Without good ideas, vision, theses about behavior, how do you make those decisions to test in the first place?

Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless: http://bit.ly/i4wDo9

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://j.mp/f424d6

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://dlvr.it/CYp6s

RT @MikeAbundo: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://j.mp/f424d6

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://bit.ly/i5OJDY #socialnetworking

Great startups need great ideas and great execution. Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless – http://bit.ly/eubnbz #in

@founding #BRFI RT @nlw Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/ecjYpQ

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://ping.fm/c5vfn

RT @sachinrekhi Let's End the Myth that Ideas as Worthless http://bit.ly/dT7Ruc

http://j.mp/hyKU4e Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless

Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless: http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 http://fb.me/wUnUDhKq

RT @pds216: RT @sachinrekhi Let's End the Myth that Ideas as Worthless http://bit.ly/dT7Ruc

"ideas don't matter" is similarly the complacent & empirically false myth in Indian politics http://j.mp/h7bXIw LT @gkjohn

The importance of ideas in startup-land: execution important but don't undervalue the ideas http://instapaper.com/zCv5hch1c

RT @ThirdEye3 Great startups need great ideas and great execution. Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless – http://bit.ly/eubnbz #in

RT @acorn: "ideas don't matter" is similarly the complacent & empirically false myth in Indian politics http://j.mp/h7bXIw LT @gkjohn

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @RMantri: RT @acorn: "ideas don't matter" is similarly the complacent & empirically false myth in Indian politics http://j.mp/h7bXIw …

"Ideas don't matter" is similarly the complacent & empirically false myth in Indian politics http://j.mp/h7bXIw LT @gkjohn (via @acorn)

agree! let's end with the "ideas are cheap, execution is all that matters", shall we? http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

agree! let's end with the "ideas are cheap, execution is all that matters", shall we? http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

Thought-provoking… and challenging for everyone with bright ideas! Building lasting value has to be the goal. http://lnkd.in/Jxn6iK

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/ekoSOI

I think it relies on that old say… Judgement comes from Experience, Experience comes from bad Judgement. The people who get it right are not afraid to experiment, but always do so with boundaries which include all of the metrics we’ve talked about. The first time entrepreneur might get lucky once, they very rarely do a second time. A third time is virtually unheard of. Here’s something that fascinates me.. FaceBook. $500m users, 3 trillion ads and yet no one ever talks about earnings or cash flow. Today they took another $500m with $1.5b available via special means… and yet never once do I hear talk about earnings. Are there any? If so why would you take more cash (dilution)? You’re bigger than every other network, so growth is not really the question. What new features are you going to add that will be accretive to cash flow and positive quarterly earnings? No one ever talks about it. Before I digress too far, it all ties back into your blog… what’s your intent behind the idea? Is it profits, customer acquisition, M&A or what? That helps define the direction you’ll take your idea. Also remember FB is an anomaly – 99.9% of ideas are not FB.

So to answer your question – it’s judgement, experience and intent. (IMO).

RT @craigdeakin: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://ping.fm/c5vfn #startup

What we have now we would not have without ideas but sometimes an idea takes a long time to become reality – the submarine, the helicopter. Times are changing and the concern I have is what is the need that the idea is meeting for the potential buyer, the person conceiving the idea and the greater community. Some ideas I think we might have been better off without – e.g. P, cigarettes, alcohol, fast food. Others I wonder when they will become reality – teleportation, the Dymaxian electricity grid, and the replicator?

La importancia de la idea y de una buena ejecucion en las startups http://bit.ly/hyKU4e #emprendedores #startup

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

I think the backlash against the idea (i.e. ideas are worthless) comes from entrepreneurs who execute and those who don’t. The person with the idea is like the quarterback at the watercooler who suddenly knows more about football than the entire coaching staff. Of course ideas are worth something…nothing exists without first the idea. However, ideas unexecuted (of which 99.9% probably fall into this category) are in a way “worthless”. As an entrepreneur myself, if someone comes to me with a “killer idea” my response is usually the same – GO DO IT. You will find out quickly enough if the idea is worthless or not.

Good points RT @socialentrprnr: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

This whole debate is like the chicken or the egg analogy. It’s a memetic argument based on your own bias – you either become a person full of ideas, or you become the cog in the wheel of implementation…It’s as simple as that.
Stepping back a little though and you have to understand that all creativity (the ideas) are in some way derivative, that is, they stem from some other thought or idea that has either originated in your mind, or spread as a meme from somebody else. You also have to realise that ideas are re-iterative, meaning they are revisited and improved with time, consideration, and insight. Some people can do this well and others cannot.
As has been mentioned already in the comments, the key element in both this process and the re-iterative process of execution/implementation is that all results are dependent upon the quality of thinking of those involved, which Brian Tracy, a leading US author on personal achievement and success, says that “You are paid in direct proportion to the quality of your thinking.”
Find these people and reward them suitably and interesting things begin to happen…

Thanks for putting this out there Nathaniel – I have some ideas that I’m working on getting into the execution phase and found myself many times being stressed out about the execution and not jotting down ideas that pass through my mind.

Ah, I see. I think the problem here is that it is impossible to know a priori whether an idea is worthwhile. As you say, quitting too soon can keep you from creating value. But sticking with a bad idea destroys value just as surely.

The best we can hope for is a balance: some quit too soon, and some quit too late. But if we’re going to err, it should be on the side of shorter cycles. Doubly so for novices, who will always misunderstand and make mistakes. Short cycles give them more chances to see what they’re doing wrong, even if what they’re doing wrong is not sticking with things enough.

Right idea for who, for your tribe or yourself? If my motivation is to make the idea right for getting paid……so my tribe is happy, i will disagree. I want to make my core idea, my passion and my life vision trew.. I believe in the power of one entrepeneur, he can move a moutain.

To make the right idea, need to balance both. (tribe and you)

Part of finding his path…..his passion.

Time for some thinkers to give us some tools, how to make your core idea of your business.. Your passion, your company vision? So we can evolve the conversion and having a great definition about what is a great idea?

When to have it, when to pioritize it, how many ideas? How to use ideas when you are building…..enz

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://goo.gl/eqWUV

RT @nacho540: La importancia de la idea y de una buena ejecucion en las startups http://bit.ly/hyKU4e #emprendedores #startup

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Let’s End The Myth That Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/dOtv7K

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/hIXMPR Cool post!

It seems to me that the grip that this concept has on the Valley mind right now has been d… http://reduce.li/i45vjh #that

Are Ideas worthless? http://blog.assetmap.com/2011/01/social-web/lets-end-the-ideas-are-worthless-myth/

This post on Why Ideas Matter seems to have struck a nerve – 100s of shares, dozesn of comments http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @nlw: This post on Why Ideas Matter seems to have struck a nerve – 100s of shares, dozesn of comments http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

"Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless" by @nlw: http://ow.ly/3xbMb #startup #socent

RT @BeUnreasonable: "Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless" by @nlw: http://ow.ly/3xbMb #startup #socent

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @BeUnreasonable: "Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless" by @nlw: http://ow.ly/3xbMb #startup #socent

RT @infoarbitrage: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Right. On. Dude. So true… $$

RT @SchSocEnt: RT @BeUnreasonable: "Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless" by @nlw: http://ow.ly/3xbMb #startup #socent

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Love this. 'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless' RT @nlw Post on Why Ideas Matter seems to have struck a nerve http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

Love this quote: 'every entrepreneur is ultimately, making it up as they go' From http://bit.ly/hyKU4e via @BeUnreasonable #startup #socent

thank you for saying it and calling out the silicon valley BS. ideas do matter. execution is a given. http://bit.ly/fm1fcW

RT @gregorymiller: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @mikedelponte: "Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless." Great post by @nlw http://bit.ly/i4wDo9

RT @cvahanian: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/hIXMPR Cool post!

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless. http://bit.ly/gxLSIl

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS a good New Year re-solution!

Bad ideas with great execution are failures just as much as good ideas with no execution.
http://bit.ly/easSVS

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gjDUgD

@nlw in an excellent post about why ideas *do* matter in startups http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

Its not that ideas are worthless, its that ideas only become valuable with execution: http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" (but they *are* only a small part of success) http://bit.ly/h1xjVT (via @galenward)

The Lean Startup Methodology is the most influential intellectual force in the Valley right now. The Lean Startup… http://fb.me/HEH2urrD

RT @IRGnews: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless. http://bit.ly/gxLSIl

Think ideas don't matter? Watch a mindless action flick. RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless: http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 good one @cleartrip

RT @BeUnreasonable: "Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless" by @nlw: http://ow.ly/3xbMb #startup #socent

Now Reading: @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Startup ideas ARE important. Stop the "we'll figure it out later" madness. @assetmap: http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Good post: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gilETt

Wild – this story shared 300+ times already. Why Ideas *DO* Matter for startups: http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS Great!

RT @socialentrprnr Wild – this story shared 300+ times already. Why Ideas *DO* Matter for startups: http://bit.ly/hQPaTR #socent #nptech

Good discussion here RT @timkastelle Good post: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gilETt

Insightful article on startups RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @socialentrprnr: Wild – this story shared 300+ times already. Why Ideas *DO* Matter for startups: http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

RT @timkastelle: Good post: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gilETt

RT @arpitrai: thank you for saying it and calling out the silicon valley BS. ideas do matter. execution is a given. http://bit.ly/fm1fcW

RT @NoelDickover: Good discussion here RT @timkastelle Good post: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gilETt

RT @timkastelle: Good post: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gilETt

I’m ALMOST agreeing. It’s not so much the “short cycles” in terms of pivoting and switching ideas, but shorter intervals of finding ways to test hypothesis, right? The distinction is small but important. Encouraging new startups to bring products to market more promptly than might feel comfortable is a good thing; getting them in front of customer feedback is a good thing. But we also have to make sure to help them learn when to stick to their guns – and I think that persistence is one of the casualties of too lose a conversation about the lack of value in ideas.

Great example of ideas that, if there wasn’t some persistence and vision on the part of those involved could have been easily “Customer feedbacked” out of existence.

Right on Carl – we absolutely don’t spend enough time talking about the value of understanding human behavior when it comes to startup design. That said, design consultancies like IDEO and frog design are paving the way for that conversation by placing such a strong emphasis on anthropology, ethnography, and “human factors” as the core of the design experience.

@bfeld What do you think? – RT @tomforemski: RT @arpitrai .. ideas do matter. execution is a given. http://bit.ly/fm1fcW

RT @socialentrprnr: Wild – this story shared 300+ times already. Why Ideas *DO* Matter for startups: http://bit.ly/hQPaTR

2011 is young yet, but this is the best read of the year so far: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://j.mp/h6NZo7

RT @kende: 2011 is young yet, but this is the best read of the year so far: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://j.mp/h6NZo7

kiva, kickstarter "are differentiated at least as much by..theories of behavior and incentives as..by their execution." http://bit.ly/hgFguh

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://bit.ly/dRTII5

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Liked @assetmap thoughts on perilous pivot predilections based on ideas are worthless, execution is everything meme http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @EliasBiz: Great post. "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/fiEOwb

RT @EliasBiz: Great post. "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/fiEOwb

When folks say “the idea does not matter, execution rules” it’s a mental shortcut to put budding entrepreneurs in front of a harsh reality, i.e. that most ideas remain exactly that and never go anywhere, that the idea per se is only one component.

In the same way that cemeteries are full of Mozarts who did not train hard enough to actually become Mozart, most ideas die on the vine because they do not get executed on.

Great projects come together when a great team comes upon a great idea. Unsurpisingly, these tend to be well correlated: great teams often hit upon great ideas.

Hum. Tail wagging the dog. What you are driving at, I think, is sustainability and you are looking at it through the lens of profits (having profits makes you sustainable, right ?). I would question whether using that a single focus concept is correct. As for a quarterly earnings focus, they lead IMO to the most distorted behavior and actually threaten the long term sustainability of large corporations. Why did eBay acquire Skype ? So Meg W could protect her dizzying growth induced multiples. Instead of running a highly profitable low growth utility. Why ? Because shareholders would ask for her head the moment she admitted that. And so on. Let’s not even get into short-term exec incentives… Take a look at nestle maybe as a business that takes a 50-year view on itself and hardly communicates on short term movements.

So fb is right to remain private and take the long view, with plenty of capital markets funding to take them there.

Interesting. Sustainability is (IMO) important, just as quarterly numbers are important – what’s missing I think in this discussion is the degree (think precision) around the key performance metrics in a company. Meg W made a mistake buying Skype. She tried to fit a square peg in a round hole with a very poor justification as to why owning Skype would make a difference. It didn’t work because the two entities are fundamentally different businesses.

Focal points change as a company evolves. The key to sustainability is adapting to those new focal points, remaining competitive and driving new innovations that refresh the cycle without corrupting the core of the business.

Nothing is forever these days – we’re consuming resources faster than we replenish, information flow is numbing our ability to reason through the problem and leading to unpredictable behaviors. Welcome to the new norm.

As for FB… the piper has started playing. With GS showing up the future is now becoming clearer – the investors want a return on their investment, their game plan changed the moment they closed that deal, just as Meg’s did when she brought Skype.

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless – http://goo.gl/LMXIE

RT @Kuhn: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless. http://bit.ly/easSVS

I definitely agree that, in general, that’s the intent. What the piece is reacting against is that I think the zeitgeist has shifted a bit. The best young entrepreneurs have gotten the big 10-4 on having to bust ass to make a company work. But they’ve started to get more than that, and the wonderful and terrible echo chamber of the Valley is actually pushing the meaning of the message even further. What happens is that they start to view an “idea” only as the initial spark, and begin to treat everything that comes after as a process of split testing and customer feedback. My worry is that unless we apply the same discipline to helping people learn how to ideate and develop vision that we are increasingly (and positively) applying to helping them test hypothesis, we’re going to accidentally create a generation of entrepreneurs who know how to optimize but not innovate. In a strange way, this would be the inverse situation of the MBA with a great idea from the first web bubble.

I do believe, as well, that there is a discipline for ideation and vision. In the Valley you have people like Max Marmer (who posted in these commons) working with Steve Blank to articulate methods for problem and solution identification. Even more, you have the emergence of an entire design industry led by firms like IDEO that are actually articulating and incubating a methodology of problem and solution discovery.

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless", Nathaniel Whittemore: http://j.mp/dOtv7K [Finally a rational ideas "vs" execution" article!]

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

@brahminboy http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @ediggs: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/ecjYpQ

RT @adivik2000: @brahminboy http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @Cleartrip: Let's end the myth that ideas are worthless: http://bit.ly/i4wDo9

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS – need idea+execution to build a great startup

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/eNjN6E (via @tijs)

Ah yes so I really agree with that. I do also hope we get beyond “problem companies” i.e. gap identification / fast prototyping against gaps identified –> predictable but unexciting outcomes.

My beef with Skype / eBay is : CEO has to deliver insane growth because market has priced that in, but ebay fundamentally cannot grow faster than GDP given its huge penetration, so silly acquisition ensues with enough “mystery upside” to try to placate markets i.e. skype. Bad strategy derived from a relentless need to achieve quarterly goals. My dad used to say “any fool can drive profits up for 2-3 years in a row. It’s what happens after that matters”.

Ideas: valuable or a dime a dozen? http://blog.assetmap.com/2011/01/social-web/lets-end-the-ideas-are-worthless-myth/

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @acoolearth: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS via @infoarbitrage #creativity #ideas #mubadiroon #ent

RT @alshebil: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS via @infoarbitrage (cont) http://tl.gd/7u181u

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/gVnEm0 <– Agreed. Execution and ideas are multipliers.

"Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" by @assetmap http://bit.ly/hyKU4e #leanstartup #bmgen But…some are worth less than others.

RT @BOPreneur: "Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" by @assetmap http://bit.ly/hyKU4e #leanstartup #bmgen But…some are worth …

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap" ( http://bit.ly/h04odb )

Well said. Every CEO has a turning point. Meg’s was when she did the Skype deal. There was no strategic value to eBay – they were just buying earnings. Which means that eBay had run out of steam. Your dad is spot on. Now she’s just another unemployed billionaire. Oh well.

RT @acoolearth: RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @Pitch_Doctor: 'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless ' http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless ' http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless ' http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @martinsoorjoo: 'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless ' http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @martinsoorjoo: 'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless ' http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Best read in a while… – "Ideas and Execution do not exist at opposite ends of the same spectrum" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @drupeek: Best read in a while. – "Ideas and Execution do not exist at opposite ends of the same spectrum" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e I concur

"The value of ideas as they relate to the way an investor makes decisions may be different than the way an… http://fb.me/LpujE8el

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless – Assetmap http://bit.ly/iccbxK

Read: Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://is.gd/kavj9

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @martinsoorjoo: 'Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless ' http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Ideas vs. execution is a false dichotomy. http://t.co/VWfnkf0

RT @tempo: Ideas vs. execution is a false dichotomy. http://t.co/VWfnkf0

RT @tempo: Ideas vs. execution is a false dichotomy. http://t.co/VWfnkf0

RT @tempo: Ideas vs. execution is a false dichotomy. http://t.co/VWfnkf0

RT @tempo: Ideas vs. execution is a false dichotomy. http://t.co/VWfnkf0

Interesting meta look at startups as a concept RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS <–not all Silicon Valley conventional wisdom is right

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

I like your contrarian non-mainstream point of view.

This is not black & white or facts vs fallacies. It depends, but I agree that “ideas are worthless” are part of a hype and it’s time to sell! Generally speaking medium/big companies really need strong execution, while small companies can live with ideas and less perfect execution.

i) There are ideas where execution doesn’t matter too much, I came from idea to profitable business in less than two weeks in an area outside of my expertise. One can say that I had the skills to execute in less than two weeks but indeed anybody with some expertise had been achieved a similar success with “the idea” (and this is not false execution modesty). Also, it was the first time that this (niche) idea was executed, so based on this experience the idea was 99.9%.

ii) At the same time our team came up with a lot of ideas:
- Some ideas could not be executed, they are in the limbo or killed.
- Some ideas were executed quickly with moderated success.
- Some ideas were executed with zero success in a few years and started to have success after years only by a change of context or by “luck”. This remind me that the main goal of a business is to stay alive! only one opportunity can change your luck.

Now, I agree that it’s difficult statistically to come up with an idea like (i) of quick & relatively easy execution, but I see that many of the YC companies (IMHO) has an advantage in execution related to the YC social business network, what I am saying is that I will change the web startup mantra from “execution is everything” to “your business social network plays a huge part”.

But web companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, eBay excel in execution. One thing are few million dollar companies and another story when you’re playing in the billion league.

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://ff.im/-wru66

Great, powerful and insightful post – in violent agreement. I think the super heated economy in “silicon valley” (really a mythical place) can at times cause founder/entrepreneurs to be pushed in the wrong direction via investors and VCs who “think” they have a good grasp of the biz model.

At the end of the day it’s about shaping the idea and initial product marketing strategy around customer needs and morphing when/if need be moving forward.

Google’s founders did a great job of ignoring investor input (“become another Yahoo like portal”) and stuck to their guns to build a pure play search engine, which in retrospect was certainly the right decision.

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

"Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @Pitch_Doctor: "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @Pitch_Doctor: "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @Pitch_Doctor: "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

Smart stuff. RT @Pitch_Doctor: "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @martinsoorjoo: "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

it's not just execution: “@martinsoorjoo: "Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless" http://bit.ly/hyKU4e”

A timely attach on conventional wisdom RT @nlw: Let's End the Myth that Ideas Are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Ideas are worth far more than their investment if they make change.

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless | Assetmap http://j.mp/hsoL4G

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://t.co/IzqNzi2

let's. http://bit.ly/i4wDo9

{ Brilliant post. Ideas, ideas, ideas!!! } RT @andjelicaaa: let's. http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 #UsGuys

Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Great read | On the values of ideas vs execution| http://bit.ly/dIV9VS |Full piece by Nathaniel Whittemore here: http://bit.ly/hyKU4e @PSFK

RT @AssetMap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Nicely written for followers of Steve Blank or LSM #in I am sure they will agree: Ideas are not worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Great post. Can't have great execution w/out a great idea. RT @smartel RT @andjelicaaa http://bit.ly/i4wDo9

Great post. Can't have great execution w/out a great idea. http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 RT @smartel RT @andjelicaaa RT @galactic

Great post. Can't have great execution w/out a great idea via @smartel @andjelicaaa @galactic http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 #usguys

Let’s End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/i9lJPK

Great post. Can't have great execution w/out a great idea. http://bit.ly/i4wDo9 RT @smartel RT @andjelicaaa RT @galactic

"Just as a great idea with poor execution's sure to fail, so too is a bad idea with great execution" RT @Darrell_Nelson http://bit.ly/hyKU4e

RT @assetmap: Let's End the Myth that Ideas are Worthless http://bit.ly/easSVS

Couldn’t agree more. Will give you an example – Contrary to popular belief, the Model T (or car for the masses) WAS Henry Ford’s great idea, not the execution requiring engineering innovations (use of vanadium steel in the frame), a large dealer network, introduction of the assembly line at Highland Park, etc….those are all ideas anyways (not just execution steps), but not as great (they’re natural followers) as the Model T idea – Other teams might have failed in its execution, but that was still teh great idea to stick with, not pivot away…Now, did Ford pivot to the Model T through the Quadricycle, Model A, N, etc…? Probably. This simplicity of terms (idea, execution) leaves out something else… leadership… leadership is needed to convince others that there is a great idea and to execute (encourage supporting ideas)…Ford had a lot of faults.. but he could lead

Interesting – the Model T as an example of why ideas and execution matter in equal measure. I think you’re right that leadership that can continue to align ideas and execution is an essential element. Thanks!

Sorry to say, but I think this is pure wishful thinking and playng with words.