Ideas are like… bellybuttons – everyone has them.
I started this process by asking ChatGPT, an AI system, what the value of ideas was. Here’s what it said:
Ideas can have a great deal of value, as they can lead to the development of new products, processes, or ways of thinking that can have significant impact. Ideas can also be valuable in more intangible ways, as they can inspire people and drive change. However, it’s important to note that not all ideas are valuable or worth pursuing. It takes time, effort, and resources to determine the value of an idea and to determine if it is worth pursuing.
Sure I agree with the above. It came from an artificial intelligence system, after all. That’s as good as finding almost anything else on the Internet…
But in reality, yes, ideas CAN be valuable – but ONLY if something is done with them. Existing in your mind, or a notebook, vacuum, index cards, Word document, etc., they live in limbo. It’s only when executed, built upon, shared, or patented that potential turns to real value. It takes action to breathe life into them. Otherwise, they have zero value. An idea not acted upon is a “woulda, coulda, shoulda.” Great fodder for stories but so what?
I’ll share a zillion-dollar idea with you: donuts that help you lose weight. Left in my notebooks, it’s worth zero. I don’t know how to execute it; it’s still just an idea. It’ll still be worth zero until someone can make them (and make them tasty). Perhaps YOU’LL be the one to bring it to reality – and if so, I expect a lifetime supply!
So get out there and come up with ideas, but even better, make them real. Do great things. Help people lose weight with donuts or…