The true meaning and limitations of the phrase "Ideas are easy, execution is hard"
The phrase "Ideas are easy, execution is hard" is often heard in the startup world and the business arena. Indeed, there are many people who only talk about ideas without taking any action, and this phrase serves well as a warning to those ordinary individuals who remain mere "idea people."
However, this alone misses the essence of the matter.
The ideas of ordinary people and those of true seekers differ fundamentally in quality
Even people regarded as "smart" due to their academic or professional background tend to produce shallow ideas if they lack the habit of deep inquiry. Such ideas are neither novel nor substantial enough to serve as a foundation for action.
In contrast, seekers generate ideas that touch the essence of things through their own experiences, exploration, questioning, and their ability to envision an ideal world. These ideas are valuable precisely because they are difficult to execute, and the process of bringing them to life is itself a form of creation.
Good ideas are not easy to come by
A “good idea” is one that has the power to change the future. It identifies the core of a problem and includes a structure or system that can solve it.
What matters is whether you can vividly imagine the world that would emerge once it is realized. That imagination becomes both the incentive and the energy for execution.
Execution is part of the idea—but without being integrated, it’s meaningless
Saying that execution is part of an idea is accurate. However, essential ideas inherently contain an awareness of how they can be realized from the very beginning. In other words, good ideas exist from the start as a package that includes execution.
Therefore, the phrase "Ideas are easy" is a cautionary statement directed at those who mistakenly believe themselves to be brilliant, when in fact they are mediocre. It is not aimed at genuine seekers.
An essential idea holds value only when it includes a vision of the realized future
Those with weak ideas tend to overvalue their "inspiration." In contrast, true ideas are based on deep inquiry and a vision for the future, and include not only the determination to carry them out but also the methodology.
Hence, the phrase "Ideas are easy, execution is hard" is, in fact, a statement meant to cut through the illusion held by ordinary people. For seekers, the process begins as a comprehensive design to change the world.
This leads to a situation where comparison itself becomes meaningless
"Ideas are easy, execution is hard."
"Good ideas are not easy, and execution is just a subset of ideas."
Comparing these kinds of statements creates the illusion that ideas and execution are opposing concepts. However, in the realm of true creation, they should not be separated, and comparing them is itself nonsensical.
For seekers, a good idea always includes execution from the beginning, and execution is merely a continuation of the idea. Therefore, instead of comparing them, what is needed in this era is a perspective focused on how to design and realize the entire process of creation.
It is similar to the relationship between seekers and intuition.
Thank you, Katsuhiko, for taking the time to offer such a well-thought-out perspective! I appreciate the depth of your response and the way you've engaged with the core of the argument.
You’re absolutely right—the phrase “Ideas are easy, execution is hard” is often used to cut through the noise, especially in spaces where people throw around shallow ideas without ever following through. In that sense, I think it serves a real purpose: it keeps us grounded and reminds us not to overvalue the spark without the fire. I’m totally on board with that.
At the same time, your reflection is a good reminder that this phrase, while useful, doesn’t tell the whole story. Maybe it’s also a call for us—the people who care deeply about making things that matter—to stop separating execution from ideation in the first place. Because, as you said so well, for seekers, the two are always intertwined. The best ideas do carry a sense of execution within them. They come from a place of depth, inquiry, and vision—not just inspiration, but intention.
I’m a big believer in execution. But I’m also a big believer in the power of a truly great idea. As Robert Rauschenberg—an artist I really admire—once said, “Curiosity is the ultimate power of the creative person.” That kind of curiosity, the one that drives us to ask better questions, dig deeper, and imagine new possibilities… that’s where the most meaningful ideas are born. And when they’re backed by real action, they have the power to shape the world.
Thanks again for pushing the conversation forward—I really value this kind of exchange.
The true meaning and limitations of the phrase "Ideas are easy, execution is hard"
The phrase "Ideas are easy, execution is hard" is often heard in the startup world and the business arena. Indeed, there are many people who only talk about ideas without taking any action, and this phrase serves well as a warning to those ordinary individuals who remain mere "idea people."
However, this alone misses the essence of the matter.
The ideas of ordinary people and those of true seekers differ fundamentally in quality
Even people regarded as "smart" due to their academic or professional background tend to produce shallow ideas if they lack the habit of deep inquiry. Such ideas are neither novel nor substantial enough to serve as a foundation for action.
In contrast, seekers generate ideas that touch the essence of things through their own experiences, exploration, questioning, and their ability to envision an ideal world. These ideas are valuable precisely because they are difficult to execute, and the process of bringing them to life is itself a form of creation.
Good ideas are not easy to come by
A “good idea” is one that has the power to change the future. It identifies the core of a problem and includes a structure or system that can solve it.
What matters is whether you can vividly imagine the world that would emerge once it is realized. That imagination becomes both the incentive and the energy for execution.
Execution is part of the idea—but without being integrated, it’s meaningless
Saying that execution is part of an idea is accurate. However, essential ideas inherently contain an awareness of how they can be realized from the very beginning. In other words, good ideas exist from the start as a package that includes execution.
Therefore, the phrase "Ideas are easy" is a cautionary statement directed at those who mistakenly believe themselves to be brilliant, when in fact they are mediocre. It is not aimed at genuine seekers.
An essential idea holds value only when it includes a vision of the realized future
Those with weak ideas tend to overvalue their "inspiration." In contrast, true ideas are based on deep inquiry and a vision for the future, and include not only the determination to carry them out but also the methodology.
Hence, the phrase "Ideas are easy, execution is hard" is, in fact, a statement meant to cut through the illusion held by ordinary people. For seekers, the process begins as a comprehensive design to change the world.
This leads to a situation where comparison itself becomes meaningless
"Ideas are easy, execution is hard."
"Good ideas are not easy, and execution is just a subset of ideas."
Comparing these kinds of statements creates the illusion that ideas and execution are opposing concepts. However, in the realm of true creation, they should not be separated, and comparing them is itself nonsensical.
For seekers, a good idea always includes execution from the beginning, and execution is merely a continuation of the idea. Therefore, instead of comparing them, what is needed in this era is a perspective focused on how to design and realize the entire process of creation.
It is similar to the relationship between seekers and intuition.
Thank you, Katsuhiko, for taking the time to offer such a well-thought-out perspective! I appreciate the depth of your response and the way you've engaged with the core of the argument.
You’re absolutely right—the phrase “Ideas are easy, execution is hard” is often used to cut through the noise, especially in spaces where people throw around shallow ideas without ever following through. In that sense, I think it serves a real purpose: it keeps us grounded and reminds us not to overvalue the spark without the fire. I’m totally on board with that.
At the same time, your reflection is a good reminder that this phrase, while useful, doesn’t tell the whole story. Maybe it’s also a call for us—the people who care deeply about making things that matter—to stop separating execution from ideation in the first place. Because, as you said so well, for seekers, the two are always intertwined. The best ideas do carry a sense of execution within them. They come from a place of depth, inquiry, and vision—not just inspiration, but intention.
I’m a big believer in execution. But I’m also a big believer in the power of a truly great idea. As Robert Rauschenberg—an artist I really admire—once said, “Curiosity is the ultimate power of the creative person.” That kind of curiosity, the one that drives us to ask better questions, dig deeper, and imagine new possibilities… that’s where the most meaningful ideas are born. And when they’re backed by real action, they have the power to shape the world.
Thanks again for pushing the conversation forward—I really value this kind of exchange.