Many people think that entrepreneurship is a lot about coming up with the best ideas, but it turns out there’s a lot more to it.
Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple, understood this deeply. In a candid reflection many years ago, he had highlighted a critical pitfall that many, including his successor John Sculley, fell prey to: the misconception that a great idea is almost the entire battle won. This observation, especially relevant in today’s fast-paced startup culture where ideas are often lauded above execution, offers a sobering perspective.
“One of the things that really hurt Apple,” Jobs said, “was after I left, John Sculley got a very serious disease. And that disease—I’ve seen other people get it too—it’s the disease of thinking that a really great idea is 90% of the work. And that if you just tell all these other people, ‘Here’s this great idea,’ then of course they can go off and make it happen.”
He continued, “The problem with that is that there’s just a tremendous amount of craftsmanship in between a great idea and a great product. And as you evolve that great idea, it changes and grows. It never comes out like it starts because you learn a lot more as you get into the subtleties of it. And you also find there’s tremendous trade-offs that you have to make.”
“As you get into all these things,” Jobs elaborated, “designing a product is keeping 5,000 things in your brain—these concepts—and fitting them all together, and continuing to push to fit them together in new and different ways to get what you want. And every day you discover something new that is a new problem or a new opportunity to fit these things together a little differently. And it’s that process that is the magic.”
Jobs’s words resonate even today we’ve seen a surge in AI-generated ideas and tools promising to simplify the creation process. While these advancements offer incredible potential, they reinforce the danger of overvaluing the initial spark of inspiration. Just as a beautifully rendered architectural drawing doesn’t equate to a finished building, a brilliant idea doesn’t translate into a successful product without meticulous execution, adaptation, and countless hours of work. The “craftsmanship” Jobs speaks of encompasses not only the technical skills required to bring a product to life, but also the iterative process of refinement, the difficult decisions about what to prioritize and what to sacrifice, and the constant learning and problem-solving that define the journey from concept to reality.
In essence, Jobs argues that the true magic lies not in the initial idea, but in the relentless pursuit of its perfect execution. It’s in the daily grind, the constant tweaking, the willingness to adapt and overcome challenges that a great idea truly takes shape and transforms into something exceptional. This perspective serves as a powerful reminder that while innovation starts with a spark, it’s the sustained effort, the unwavering dedication to the craft, that ultimately determines success.