Implementation Matters

In fact, as we discussed in an earlier post on what we could learn from Brad Feld, ideas do not mean much on their own. What matters is how they are implemented. Indeed, the case for implementation is so strong that entrepreneurs in the starting-their-own-business sense need not have unique ideas if they are masters of implementation. (Of course, to be a masterful implementer you need to have an idea of how to actually implement the opportunity – whether you discovered the opportunity or are “simply” copying others.)

Adam Ludwin touches on the same topic in the Business Insider stating that “Your Start-Up Isn’t Unique, But That Doesn’t Matter.” Writes Ludwin:

in the marketplace, the insight is merely the starting point. That’s why it has become a common refrain to say that ideas are cheap and execution is everything.

You simply cannot count on your ideas being all that unique (and remember, ideas can be easily copied), but your execution or implementation of this business/profit opportunity might be. So why does entrepreneurship research focus to such extent on the uniqueness of business ideas, innovation, and opportunity discovery?