I am not so sure great ideas are what they used to be. With millions of people connected now there are numerous ideas that float around. They are easy to put out there. You can just browse Kickstarter to see what people are thinking about doing and what people are putting their dollars towards to support.
Once you have an idea, it still has to be worked rigorously. There’s all the hidden layers of thought, trial and error and frustration to endure. It’s why many success authors claim that you must like what you do. You need the extra motivation to endure the hard times that come as you fail with your idea.
The Execution is Where Success Lies
The ability to come up with ideas is small in comparison to getting something done from concept to production. Bringing together talent to make an idea happen or growing a business system to facilitate customer service is where the battle ultimately lies.
I have worked on many ideas. They start from a concept that gets thrown around with others or simply exist in my mind. Then I have to get to work immediately trying to put the first pieces in play that move the idea to reality.
Making ideas happen requires a sequence of tasks that have to be identified. Then there is the doing and trying. Too often, something will not work as thought. Then what? Execution demands forward momentum and a pushing forward through the obstacles. In the process, understanding and insight happens. You learn what doesn’t work and why it is so.
When I look at successful people, they see an idea through. They work relentlessly to make what is in their head appear in reality. They start with a vision, put a strategy together to pursue the vision and get down to specific tasks that support the strategy.
So, as you are looking for that next great idea, you might want to see what ideas are already out there that have not been executed on. It’s far more likely there will be less competition around the innovation of getting things done.