

Response to 'I'm turning 30 and I've produced no amazing art' - chubs
http://splinter.com.au/turning-30-all-ideas-no-execution

======
mrmaddog
... _my first app, which allows you to enter your 20 favourite recipes. It
will then choose a week’s worth of dinners at random, and compile a combined
shopping list for you, and let you tick off the items as you purchase them.
Now the market has decided that this idea isn’t worth paying $1 for._ [...] _I
can only conclude – the idea sucked._

This actually doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, and would definitely be
something I'd get if I stopped working late and started cooking more. Anyhow,
a good idea and a strong implementation do not guarantee success.

I'd guess one reason it didn't sell well is because nobody thinks to
themselves "Oh, I need an app that randomly picks meals I already know how to
make and gives me a grocery list." Rather, this is an app that people will
stumble upon and decide whether they think it is useful or not. Perhaps the
missing ingredient for this app's success was neither idea nor execution, but
rather marketing and a bit of well-timed publicity.

Edit: Found the app ([http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/random-
chef/id438618418?mt=8&...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/random-
chef/id438618418?mt=8&ls=1)), and I would double down on my wager that it is a
marketing/presentation problem: those first 2 screens definitely do not look
very appealing. I'd scratch the paper texture--or if you really do want a
paper texture, use something that you'd actually write a grocery list on, and
not an ancient manuscript. The multiple different fonts throughout the app
don't help with the readability or the presentation. Anyhow, the idea still
sounds good, but how do you expect people to think it is well implemented when
the first two pictures they see look like a mess!

~~~
chubs
(OP here) Yup, that's the app - surprised you found it!

Hmm... If you think all it needs is a visual makeover and some marketing, how
about I give you the source code and remove my version from the app store, and
you can make it over and see how you go? If you have some success, all i want
is for you to give me some marketing tips, let me know what you did that
worked. Anyone up for this? My email's on my blog.

~~~
jtchang
I would hope he found it!

A good app should be easily discoverable. Like if I plug in grocery list,
dinner, automatic, or some combination thereof it should pop up everywhere.

Execution doesn't mean just coding something out and deliverying it. Execution
means marketing, sales, business process, documentation, team building, and on
and on.

Just like an idea is about vision, dream, purpose.

------
arn
I had always assumed that "execution" incorporated more than the act of
getting a program functional.

You can imagine another version of YouTube with the exact same functions and
launched at the same time that never quite took off. I would blame such a
failure as an execution failure, not an idea failure.

Maybe working on 10 apps in the past year is another factor. Would really
pushing 1 or 2 of those apps and iterating and improving on them been more
fruitful?

To consider "executing well" as getting to a functional piece of software is a
very narrow programmer point of view, and not a business/entrepreneurial point
of view.

------
trip42
Concluding that ideas are as valuable as execution because two poorly executed
(but still executed) apps performed better than well executed seems to assume
that everyone with the same idea could execute at all.

One surely has higher odds if success, if they were to execute every idea,
without evaluating its value, than someone with perfect ideas but no ability
to execute.

------
benatkin
I got more out of this post than the original post but this post wouldn't have
been written if not for the original post. I think the author of the original
post just needs to build some of his ideas with the capacity and attenion span
that he currently has, and good things will happen, and he'll get the practice
he needs.

------
sc00ter
Pity those of us who have neither ideas, nor the ablity to execute them.

~~~
skadamat
Just by reading hacker news daily, you will build up ideas and skills (to
build skills I recommend going through the more tutorial-based posts on HN).
Most people don't even know what HN is, so you're already a step ahead of
them.

I'm guessing you're into programming so pick a few languages and learn them in
your spare time - [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/194812/list-of-freely-
ava...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/194812/list-of-freely-available-
programming-books)

For idea development, keep reading posts on HN, TechCrunch, GigaOM,
VentureBeat, etc. Spend a few minutes daily writing down words / trends you
notice for startup ideas / startups that are doing well and others that are
doing bad. As you do this more and more, you'll start to notice really great
trends, and you can iterate on them. Also for ideas, go through your day and
write down every pain point on a sheet of paper (the writing part is
important, typing it in isn't as useful!). As you build up both pain points
and trends, you'll get the hang of mixing / mashing ideas!

~~~
AznHisoka
I find HN, Techcrunch are great for technical trends. But in terms of ideas, I
find "regular" forums to be a better bet. Reason is b/c you want to create
something that targets a bigger audience. So I would recommend broadening your
horizons, hang out in places like CafeMom, Pinterest, Sparkpeople, etc.

