So much static...

What is an idea worth?

This is a question that I’ve been pondering lately, mostly because a few ideas have sprung into my mind recently that I think might actually be good.

Without good execution, even great ideas are at best abstract (which is sometimes all they need to be), and at the worst poorly realized.  Also, it seems that very few ideas are unique, and given how quickly the world is shrinking, good ideas won’t evolve in blissful ignorance of similar ideas thunk up somewhere else. This is especially true in the internet technology and media arenas, but I think applicable to most other industries.

Now, I’m not hating on ideas. We have to have them and see the best ones take form and shape. But I guess I’m just thinking out loud about the value of an idea in its purest state, a complete abstract. I think it depends entirely on the idea and what the originator hopes to do with it.  For example, an abstract idea can have huge value if the goal is to change behaviour or to just get other people thinking (carpool!, be more friendly!). On the other hand if the idea requires execution and the originator hopes to derive value from the result, things get a little more tricky, if other people have to help bring it to life. In this latter category, I’m beginning to think that an idea is very often just the catalyst for a lot of other ideas and the spark for work to begin. It certainly has value, but not outsized to the blood, sweat and tears that will go into making it real. Finally, it seems like the best environments for ideas to bear fruit are ones that everyone involved can feel some ownership in and stewardship towards. In the end, I think maybe the question wasn’t the right one.  We can’t worry so much about what an idea is worth. Instead we should focus on what an idea can become. Things happen that way. 

Getting Away is Good