Should I pick the idea I'm most excited about or the one that's most practical?
Answered by Unleash Your Ideas.
Most exciting
- Feels amazing on day one
- Fades within about 90 days
- Not enough alone
- Needs a 6 out of 10 floor
Most practical
- Real customers and real cash
- Carries months 4 to 24
- Survives the boring middle
- Wins if excitement is at least 6
Answer
Most practical, if excitement is at least 6/10. Excitement fades in 90 days regardless. Practicality (real customers, real cash, real fit) is what carries you through months 4-24.
Quick Facts
Practicality (real customers, real cash) is what carries a business through the hard middle; the top failure cause remains no market need at about 42%.
Source: CB Insights
Only about half of new firms survive five years, and the survivors are usually the practical, demand-backed ones, not the most thrilling on day one.
Source: U.S. BLS Business Employment Dynamics
The average top-growth founder is 45 and tends to choose based on fit and experience over excitement, which points toward practicality.
Source: Harvard Business Review / Azoulay et al.
Questions For You
Rank your top three ideas separately on excitement and on practicality. Does the same idea win both?
If excitement is at least a 6 out of 10, are you willing to let practicality make the final call?
Which idea will you still be glad you chose in month 18, when the novelty is long gone?
A Word of Inspiration
Feeling torn between the exciting idea and the practical one is a sign you are taking this seriously. Here is the freeing part: as long as excitement clears a 6 out of 10, practicality should win, because it is what carries you through the unglamorous middle. Choose the one with real customers and real cash, and let the excitement be the bonus, not the deciding vote.
Try this today
Rank your top 3 ideas separately on excitement and practicality. Pick the one with the highest practicality, provided excitement is at least a 6.
Sources & Citations
This resource is educational and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Consult qualified professionals for decisions specific to your situation.
More questions in Finding an Idea
How do I know if I even have a good business idea?
You don't.
Do I have to have a passion for what I do?
No.
What if I don't have any ideas at all?
Then you haven't been paying attention to your own friction.
Should I start a business in an industry I know or one I'm curious about?
Industry you know.
Is it too late to enter my industry?
Almost never.
How do I know if my idea is different enough from competitors?
It doesn't need to be different.