Is Execution More Important Than Vision? | Hacker News Reader

Is Execution More Important Than Vision?

techcrunch.com

18 pointsphyscab13 comments

Yes. Execution is far more important than vision.

Ideas are easy to come by. Turning them into something is the hard part - and doing them well is even harder. For too long there was this myth about "first mover advantage" that overwhelmed logic and actual observation.

Amazon wasn't the first mail-order bookstore. They weren't the first online bookstore. However, they're the best online bookstore because they "executed" it best.

"The early bird catches the worm. But the second mouse gets the cheese!"

More examples of second mouses: Google (search, gmail etc.), flickr, Skype, del.icio.us ...

Not only execution but execution in the right direction. Amazon succeeded in part because they picked a target (sheer volume and efficiency) and drove singlemindedly towards it. Ditto companies like WalMart and FedEx.

Other companies have executed as well in orthogonal directions (I'd argue that both GM and Microsoft are marketing companies with vestigal engineering organs) and not done as well long-term.

I suppose that's where the vision comes into play; you have to see the target to aim.

Execution in the right direction needs vision. Original question from TechCrunch is stoo-pid. It's like asking if you want the car with tyres or an engine.

No. That is to say, you can't have one without the other.

Think back to all the neat ideas that came up during the dot-com boom, and then remember that many/most of them failed in the end.

In the early stages of a business, you have to have the 'vision' that wows people enough to make them want to invest in you. From that point, execution is what keeps you in business.

Actually, you can have a vision with no execution. I have a ton this instant.

Logically, you are totally correct. In the business world, execution turns vision into cash flow. So, a successful business will necessarily have both.

> Is Execution More Important Than Vision? (techcrunch.com)

I saw this and thought, "Maybe, but how would TechCrunch know?"

Execution is absolutely more important than vision because everyone can be a visionary if he has even a little interest. For example, when you look at Google giving you search results in one fashion, you think "I wish they had a good design." But only bing.com could prove that search can be better organized and designed, and I 'd say they have executed just fine. Ideas can be generated even in the bathroom.

Before the idea is out in the market, then I'd say that vision is slightly more important than execution. BUT, once it's out there and it's clear people want to buy it, then vision takes a back seat to good, solid, competent execution.

How many market leaders actually invented their markets? The business world is full of the remains of "visionary" companies who just plain got out-executed.

Execution is important, no doubts there. And I agree that for mass products it is more important than vision. However, I think that if the product is targeted for a single customer or a small niche group then vision is way more important - users will tolerate much of the shortcomings in execution if they see a great future perspective and are excited about it.

Very interesting article. IMO, vision is important, but without having the ability to execute it, its essentially worthless. When we launched a lot of people said and some still say that they had similar ideas, but it was us who executed it.

Yes, details are important.

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