Ideation + Skills + Execution
What is the change you want to make in the world?
This is the question. Seth Godin asks this repeatedly in his book, “This Is Marketing.” It’s a great question. But this question should be followed up with another.
Do you have the skills necessary to make the change?
Have you honed your skills to the point that you can create value and charge what you’re worth?
It’s good to see the vision. Executing on the vision can be hard. Because execution means you have to know what to do.
What do I need to build to make the change happen?
Do I need to build a business?
Write a book?
Create a software?
Develop a more diverse network of relationships?
Execution is not simply doing a thing. It’s doing the right things.
But execution is also the game-changer. It’s firing after taking careful aim. It’s feet to your plans.
To misquote Steve Jobs, good ideas aren’t worth anything without execution. Execution is worth millions.
If there are no ideas, you have an empty field.
Ideation without skills is wishful thinking.
Ideation without execution creates a trash pile of ideas.
Execution without ideation makes a junkyard of broken attempts.
Get the skills you need to execute on the right things. That’s the winning equation.