What does the iPod, SpaceX, and a Pet Rock have in common?
Someone behind them who knew how to execute.
The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player, but Steve Jobs knew how to execute on creating one that would appeal to the masses in a way that previous MP3 players didn’t. He didn’t invent the idea of a tablet – we saw them in sci-fi decades ago (remember, Star Trek: The Next Generation?), but he convinced an initially skeptical market of their utility.
Elon Musk wasn’t the first to think of the idea of a rocket returning back to the launch pad – but he got the right people together to make it a reality. He didn’t invent the electric car, but he figured out how to make one that was both procurable by a lot of people, and a status symbol.
Gary Dahl wasn’t the first person to lament the chores of caring for a pet, but he figured out a way to get people to spend money on something they could dig up in their back yard (Pet Rock)
I heard a quote once: "The difference between a good idea and a bad idea is execution." What would you say if I asked you, “Do you want to rent your spare bedroom to strangers who contact you over the internet?” You would probably say it's a bad idea, but that is exactly what AirBnB is. The difference is that with Airbnb, someone has figured out how to execute on it. They figured out how to reduce the biggest objection (make prospective hosts feel safe opening part of their home to strangers) and create what would become a multi-billion-dollar company.
An idea by itself is worthless, anybody can think of one – the real value is whether you can actually execute on it and make it happen.
The importance of execution, and the versatility of it, hit home to me several years ago when I was training for my first Ironman. I stumbled upon a DVD from an outfit called Endurance Nation, listing what they referred to as "The 4 Keys to Long Course Triathlon Success". The first one was simply 'execution beats fitness', wherein the point was that 140.6 miles of swimming, cycling and running is too big a problem to solve with fitness alone. You have to be strategic, and the problem has to be broken down into manageable chunks. You have to be present and mindful about decisions made along the way, accepting that things will go awry now and again. You have to think of the whole endeavor as a work-in-progress until the end, keeping in mind the why... "Why am I doing this?" reasons to help motivate you when things get tough.
These points are the core recipe for success on the execution of an idea, any idea, anywhere, and keeping the why at the forefront drives motivation beyond setbacks.
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