on motivation and optimization

Note: this is a non-AI-jobs related essay, although I do have a few AI-related jokes and machine learning analogies that might be interesting, so I hope you read on…

This week someone and I were talking about the process of idea generation, and the execution following taking the form of a side-project or startup. I was compelled to reflect on how to ideate. Most of the ideas I act on came from conversing with friends, family, mentors in specific areas of the world—observing and noticing problems together, hearing what bothers them, and digging into what bothers me.

“It’s not about the idea but the execution” is something I agree wholeheartedly. However, what that leaves out is how the origin of the said idea affects the quality of the execution.

Have you experienced the problem you’re trying to solve directly? Is it a visceral pain or a small, but persistent, annoyance? How much do you want to bring your solution into the world, and for what reason? Who would benefit from it?

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