Alain de Botton Quotes

The value of a good idea is in using it.

To make ideas effective, we must be able to fire them off. We must put them into action.

There really was nothing like it at the time. We had good ideas for implementation, so we proceeded. I think it was an excellent solution to the reliability issues with existing search engines.

A lot of the ideas for solving many of our problems are already in place, but ideas don’t travel.

Ideas are useless unless used. The proof of their value is in their implementation. Until then, they are in limbo.

Good ideas have no value because the world already has too many of them. The market rewards execution, not ideas.

What is often lacking is not creativity in the idea-creating sense but innovation in the action-producing sense, i.e. putting ideas to work.

Sometimes it's easy to have ideas, but somebody has to find a way to do it. Often those responsible for finding a way don't have the idea.

Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.

Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless.

You can't run a business or anything else on a theory.

Neal had a couple of good ideas and they fit nicely, so that's the way I decided to go.

The value of an idea lies in the using of it.

Good ideas are a dime a dozen. It's what you do with them that counts.

As an entrepreneur, my problem was that I had too many ideas.

Never leave the site of a strong idea without doing something to execute around it.

Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous impatience. Once implemented they can be easily overturned or subverted through apathy or lack of follow-up, so a continuous effort is required.

After the idea, there is plenty of time to learn the technology

Ideas become powerful only if they appear in the flesh; an idea which does not lead to action by the individual and by groups remains at best a paragraph or a footnote in a book.

Ideas are easy to come by; reduction to practice is an arduous but inspirationally rewarding matter.

I don't practice anything. I spend time looking over ideas and then just get out and do it.

When something has to be done, do it! In France we are full of good ideas, but we rarely put them into practice.

The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20. The most brilliant idea takes great execution to be worth $20,000,000.

It's important not to overstate the benefits of ideas. Quite frankly, I know it's kind of a romantic notion that you're just going to have this one brilliant idea and then everything is going to be great. But the fact is that coming up with an idea is the least important part of creating something great. It has to be the right idea and have good taste, but the execution and delivery are what's key.

Everything worthwhile is a good idea, but did you ever notice there is more bad ideas that will work than there is good ones?