automatic file syncing across machines? useful idea, not revolutionary
most execution? blah
DropBox execution? golden
Amazon. Idea: you can buy things on the web and we'll mail them to you! Duh/blah/meh. Amazon's execution & timing: nailed it.
some ideas have the potential to make more money than others, sure. but execution is way more important, and arguably timing has a bigger OOM effect as well.
idea: web search that gives the best results, fast, combined with ad space we sell
First of all, that's two ideas.
Second, each of those ideas was far more precise than that-- remember that AltaVista and Lycos, for example, had very different ideas about how to "give the best results" and "sell ad space".
In other words, getting from the vague wish expressed in "best results" to an actual algorithm capable of being executed is worth quite a lot.
For every "Dropbox" you can name, with a "not revolutionary" idea and golden execution, I can name you a "Pets.com" with a crappy idea and golden execution that failed.
I'm not by any means discounting the importance of execution (or timing), but some ideas have the potential to make more money than others is a hell of an understatement, if you ask me.
We don't need to minimize the importance of ideas in order to remind people that the ideas aren't worth anything without good execution.
Comments
In that case, you may want to revisit your original formulation, Ideas are worth pennies. It's time, energy and execution that are worth something.
Time, energy and execution thrown at a bad idea will not be worth much more than a good idea sitting in a notebook.
idea: web search that gives the best results, fast, combined with ad space we sell
time/energy cost to have that idea: minutes?
execution: none
revenue: 0
now same as above but:
executed in late 90's:
executed in 2010, once Google exists: idea: i'll go work for McDonald'stime cost to have idea: seconds/minutes
execution: 20-40 hrs/week, no prev experience needed
revenue: ~$1000/month
another example:
idea: cold fusion!!!!!!
execution: no follow through
revenue: zero
VS.
idea: classified ads ... but on the web!!!!
execution: pretty standard, obvious, simple, blah (Craigslist)
revenue: $millions?
another one:
automatic file syncing across machines? useful idea, not revolutionary
most execution? blah
DropBox execution? golden
Amazon. Idea: you can buy things on the web and we'll mail them to you! Duh/blah/meh. Amazon's execution & timing: nailed it.
some ideas have the potential to make more money than others, sure. but execution is way more important, and arguably timing has a bigger OOM effect as well.
idea: web search that gives the best results, fast, combined with ad space we sell
First of all, that's two ideas. Second, each of those ideas was far more precise than that-- remember that AltaVista and Lycos, for example, had very different ideas about how to "give the best results" and "sell ad space".
In other words, getting from the vague wish expressed in "best results" to an actual algorithm capable of being executed is worth quite a lot.
For every "Dropbox" you can name, with a "not revolutionary" idea and golden execution, I can name you a "Pets.com" with a crappy idea and golden execution that failed.
I'm not by any means discounting the importance of execution (or timing), but some ideas have the potential to make more money than others is a hell of an understatement, if you ask me.
We don't need to minimize the importance of ideas in order to remind people that the ideas aren't worth anything without good execution.