The biggest problem with saying that Execution is more important than Ideas is that it demonstrates a gross misunderstanding of how you get outstanding Execution: you get it through 100s of excellent (and usually correct) Ideas about what to do & how to do it, day in and day out.
To elaborate:
The notion of That One Great Idea is silly. Think of Idea in plural form, not singular. It is not just the Ah-ha Archimedes Lighbulb moment. In the real world, to make any product spectacular, that moment must actually be followed by countless other ideas & choices.
The notion of That One Great Idea is silly. Think of Idea in plural form, not singular. It is not just the Ah-ha Archimedes Lighbulb moment. In the real world, to make any product spectacular, that moment must actually be followed by countless other ideas & choices.
These are ideas about how to solve problems, what compromises to make & not make, how to deal with people issues, how to tackle constraints, how to creatively organize & sequence work, how to set the right targets & goals, and on & on.
Ideas (plural) drive outstanding Execution.
Ideas (plural) drive outstanding Execution.
That is why people who are consistently great at Execution tend to be very creative people who are Idea machines (note 2 things here: the converse isnβt necessarily true, and we are talking about great Execution not just good Execution)
Watch this please:
youtu.be
Watch this please:
youtu.be
So overall, it is a fallacy to think about it as:
Idea β Execution β Success
Because great Execution isn't just about creating plans, updating spreadsheets, aligning resources, working hard, having courage, etcβall that by itself will just give you decent Execution, not great
Idea β Execution β Success
Because great Execution isn't just about creating plans, updating spreadsheets, aligning resources, working hard, having courage, etcβall that by itself will just give you decent Execution, not great
Reality looks a bit like this:
Big Idea β Execute β Problem β Idea β Execute β Next Problem β Idea β Execute β Backtrack β Idea β Existential Problem β Idea β Idea β Idea β Execute β Surprise/Disappointment β Idea β Execute β Success β Next Problem and on & on
Big Idea β Execute β Problem β Idea β Execute β Next Problem β Idea β Execute β Backtrack β Idea β Existential Problem β Idea β Idea β Idea β Execute β Surprise/Disappointment β Idea β Execute β Success β Next Problem and on & on
Lastly, one must remember the importance of a team. The products we love and use daily are made by teams, not 1 person. A team with outstanding execution needs people with great ideas, great taste, great grit, great discipline, etc. This need not be just 1 person (and never is).
Most would agree that Steve Jobs was great at execution. But Steve Jobs did not make everything with his own bare hands. He had 100s to 1000s of people around him. Some great at doing, but not coming up with great ideas. Others the opposite. Others were both. Team, not 1 person.
Related:
If instead of Ideas / Execution, we are talking about Strategy / Execution (the other perennial debate) here is an excellent post by @RogerLMartin. Bookmark it now if you don't have time to read right now. But don't miss it.
(h/t @grantwhunter)
rogermartin.medium.com
If instead of Ideas / Execution, we are talking about Strategy / Execution (the other perennial debate) here is an excellent post by @RogerLMartin. Bookmark it now if you don't have time to read right now. But don't miss it.
(h/t @grantwhunter)
rogermartin.medium.com
Loading suggestions...