Brilliant ideas die for many reasons across all sectors and companies. However, there are some common threads that you can see when you really look at the bigger picture. From a lack of team and organisational commitment to the fear of change, here are some examples.
A Poor Execution Strategy
There can be a disconnect between strategists and leadership, causing delays and gaps in essential groundwork needed to bring an idea to life. Throughout the product development lifecycle, gaps must be bridged so everyone stays true to the overall vision, or you risk poor execution and problematic end results. This kind of poor implementation is the main reason why good ideas don’t see the light of day, alongside poor testing and inadequate resources.
Brilliant Ideas Die from Commitment Issues
Given that the average new product takes around 2 years to fully develop, it can take a lot of commitment from a backer, company or team to bring it to fruition. Dedication can prevent an idea from falling by the wayside, but there could be too many factors that prevent it from rising:
- An idea can be welcomed but then met with poorly executed follow-through.
- The teamwork involved in bringing an idea to life can also make or break innovation.
- There can also be external influences that kill commitment, such as conflict of interest.
Inadequate Prior Research
Dynamic sessions and brainstorming are excellent for bringing up new ideas. However, there are usually only one or two good ideas among a sea of inadequate ones. However, even with some solid-looking ideas, there is no guarantee of bringing them around. Usually this occurs because of assumptions instead of solid evidence about the efficacy of an idea. Solid research is required before making any commitment, or it can lead to wasted time and resources.
Brilliant Ideas Die from Fear of Failure
A lot of individuals, and indeed, businesses, are held back by a stifling fear of failing at an attempt to bring a new product to market. While persistence can be the difference between success and failure, brilliant ideas die too easily when a team gives up and moves on without really trying. Around 81% of medium-sized businesses have a product management team, but they are often overwhelmed with new ideas and commit to the ones with immediate results.
- Most businesses are risk-averse and will neglect ideas that challenge uncertainty.
- If an idea doesn’t demonstrate immediate perfection, it can be paralysed by a company.
- Fear of judgment and societal expectations are also the death of a brilliant idea.
A preference for avoiding risk is one of the driving fear factors that can put a great idea on the shelf. Further fear of rejection, criticism and losing money can also contribute to killed ideas.
Holding Unrealistic Expectations
As mentioned, companies typically back ideas they can envision having immediate results that bring in money. However, the expectation of immediate success is detrimental to a company, as is evident with the current state of the video games industry and Hollywood. A successful idea takes time to develop, and it requires dedication from all sources and passion. This encourages effort to be made while progressing, resulting in something customers will engage with.
Brilliant Ideas Die from Fear of Change
While most companies have a product development department, almost 40% of product managers struggle with backlogs. So, a new idea must stand out as something worth their time as, in most cases, organisations simply fear change because of what it could imply for business:
- New innovations carry the weight of uncertainty, leading to hasty rejections.
- An idea that causes emotional responses can also be met with heavy resistance.
- People fear what they don’t understand and would rather continue with what they know.
Being Perceived as a Threat
There is a lot of emotional and cognitive bias when it comes to bringing new ideas to the table. Many business leaders and executives don’t like to upset the status quo, often at the detriment of their own finances. There are countless examples of poor business decisions, including Blockbuster vs. Netflix and Apple vs. Blackberry. Failure to act and embrace changes will harm your business and can lead to financial ruin, so staying open-minded is always a must.
Summary
A poorly developed strategy for execution is among the top reasons that brilliant ideas die. Great ideas can also be put to death by fear of failure, individually or as a business. Some ideas are also perceived as a threat to the status quo that works well but is evolving in society.
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