How many amazing ideas does a person have in their lifetime?
Hi everyone,
I used to read or listen to a podcast about something "on average a person has 20 amazing ideas in their lifetime". I forgot where this sentence comes from. I searched Google but also couldn't find the result. If you know where it comes from, please let me know. Thank you.
FYI, I'm working on my current project so I need the source.
Also, what's your opinion on this question?
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Depends what you call amazing. To take a personal example,I have managed to 'invent' a reasonnable agile software method 10 years ago (before agile was famous) that was applied for a team of 20 people, and those 20 people were, indeed, very productive while this project was active. This would be called amazing in our small 200 people IT department (most project managers do not invent methods), but is certainly not an idea of the scale of google, the electric car, deep learning.
I have also a (probably close to useless) patent at my name that I got during an internship. That could be called amazing locally (I think I am the only one to have a patent in my group of 30 or so colleagues), but is certainly not world transforming.
Even by the very loose standard of my small local 'amazing' ideas', most people I think do not have amazing ideas like I described above. So if you raise the bar for really amazing ideas, I think almost everyone will have 0, a very small percentage will have 1, and a few individuals will have several.
And a last point to note: on the two ideas below, I somehow developped the idea, and maybe it could have been great if I had put a lot of energy in it. Especially, the first one could be a more common-sense method than scrum. However, after applying it locally, I did not try to make them great. So more than the idea, the implementation counts.
I am now working on a third idea Open Lowcode, which, if it works, could become the mysql of application servers.
Sounds a silly thing to busy oneself with.
If you believe psychology of creativity with Jordan Peterson the crazy majority would have 0. And a few would have crazy amounts and anywhere in between on a logarithmic productivity curve.
But like a life partner you probably only need one match.
The idea itself is not as meaningful as everything that connects with it.
Most of these conversations are for motivation purposes.
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It doesn't matter, ideas are worthless. Implementation is what matters.
You can have 1000 ideas, if you never successfully implement any of them, they serve no purpose.
An idea to be "amazing" also needs to:
The thing is, for an idea to be "amazing", A LOT of things have to align perfectly and also, even then, it's a lot of luck involved whether this idea would lead to a world-changing product or not.
You are right. I also think execution is more important than ideas itself. With the right tactics, we can perfect our ideas over time. And since perfect ideas do not exist, we have to keep coming back and refining them. Several factors have driven the success of a business. Let's call it hard work with a sprinkle of luck :)
Like others have said, great ideas are the byproduct of creativity and understanding a problem/need.
I'm sure there is an "average" however I do not think that this average holds any value in reality [e.g. if you've only had 5 great ideas, it doesn't mean you have 15 more coming, and vice versa].
Depends of the person
Hmm I think it's more subtle than that. For me personally it seems like my best ideas come when I have a deep understanding of a problem space.
As of now I have gained deep understanding in 2.5 completely different fields. Might find more later in my life based on changing interests.
I think any idea is brilliant depending on how you look at it. It depends on the system in which you operate. 20 ideas is what I have on any given day. Right in the moment they are all brilliant, until you have this "oh no" moment. So brilliance is quite subjective and I do not see how we ever could agree on a universal rating. What is discrimination for one is vital to another. Though I am curious to hear more about your project and the progress you make. All the best straight out of Germany.
I think it depends completely on the individual and the individual's circumstances.
Ideas and inspiration come about depending on what you're being exposed to on a daily basis.
More often than not you'll hear someone say or think: "why doesn't someone do _____".
At that moment they're on to something it could be that they never verbalize it or it's ephemeral a spur of the moment thing where the idea is left with no follow-up.
Take it a step further and whether it's amazing or not is completely subjective. Is amazing measured in potential? In success? In impact?
I don't think Starbucks was particularly amazing but it's been extremely successful.
In my personal case and people I know around me, we come up with ideas on a near daily basis. We have folders and lists of ideas that never take off, not necessarily because they aren't revolutionary, nor because they can't turn a profit, but also because starting a business and following through it is alot of effort. The idea itself doesn't motivate us enough to act on it knowing the battles and struggles that lay ahead. The idea has to be a flaming yes that can carry you through the wild emotional rollercoaster of entrpreneurship.
Hey, thanks for your answer. I completely agree with you. For me, execution is more important than the idea itself. It's true with many successful companies, like Starbucks as you mentioned. If we look at other successful companies like Netflix, or Apple, their ideas, goals, and audiences have been constantly evolving to thrive compared to when they first started.
I also save many ideas on my note. Sometimes I revisit them and see if there is anything I'd like to add. Some ideas seem not "a flaming yes" at first. But as you experience more, you can contribute and turn those average ideas into amazing ideas.
Thus, I love it when people said don't wait until your business/idea is perfect. Publish it now than perfect it over time.
Thanks for your answer. Btw, I still need to search where that quote comes from for a project haha. It's a bummer I couldn't find it anywhere.
Depends also on your Myers-Briggs personality type.
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Couldn't agree more on Facebook and Instagram
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