Moving from Idea to Action: Ten questions to create momentum

The hardest part of creating something new is the starting point, the space in which we have an idea but are unsure if it’s good, worth building, or likely to succeed. One side of our brain can see a vision for the future and feels fired up with creativity, but the other side struggles to move that vision toward reality.

There's a scientific reason for this internal struggle between creativity and action – they operate from two different sides of our brain.

When we have an idea, our mind enters a state of low cognitive control dominated by the Default Mode Network (DMN). This puts us in a more introspective state in which we are less aware of the outside world and more in touch with our imagination, creativity, and free-flowing thoughts. Ideas can feel effortless and exciting as our mind wanders freely, making new connections without judgment.

However, moving from idea to action requires a seismic shift in thought direction. We must engage parts of our brain that are responsible for executive functions like planning, decision-making, and problem-solving. This transition demands higher cognitive control, which can feel particularly challenging after the free-flowing ideation state.

The contrast between these two brain states explains why we often feel disconnected from our creative vision and our ability to act on it and bring it to life. The part of our brain that generates the exciting idea operates differently from the part we need to engage in for execution.

Understanding this neurological shift can help us bridge the gap between inspiration and action, allowing us to seek tools to navigate the challenging early stages of ideation, creation, and innovation.

The most effective and simple ones I’ve found to bridge the gap between the two sides of my mind are questions – ten, to be exact. Every time I’ve run my ideas through the list below, I’ve ended with either something more refined and ready to shape for the world or a natural and non-painful diversion of an idea to another place in the future.

When you find yourself caught in that uncomfortable gap between feeling an idea’s potential but not knowing if and how to bring it to life, consider the following:

1.      What problem are you solving, and why is the moment to address it now?

What is the human need your product is addressing? Don’t just be practical – consider the feelings you’ll provide: happiness, satisfaction, and connection.

Explain why the current timing is now for your solution’s existence. Why isn’t it there now? O why and how are competitors’ visions different from yours?

Add to this why you’re uniquely positioned to deliver it!

2.      What is the economic size of the problem you’re solving?

Who needs your product, how many customers are out there, and how many could you reach? The Internet uses more complicated words to describe this—total addressable market (TAM), serviceable addressable market (SAM), and serviceable obtainable market (SOM)—but they all reduce to the same point: how many buyers could you get?

3.      Is your product desirable enough to tackle that need?

What are the unique features of your product, and how do they solve the problem you’ve identified differently and better than others?

4.      What is the feasibility of your product being taken up by the market versus competitors, regulations, and other barriers?

Look at competitors, regulations, and potential obstacles to market entry to see what might impact your journey to bringing the idea to life and what might hinder customer growth.

5.      What is the viability of delivering your product reliably at scale and profitably?

Outline your production or service delivery process. Don’t think small! Consider the early stages and what will happen when you’re successful and need to produce and provide at scale.

6.      What will your press release say to the market at launch, and what will follow the headline?

What will be your core launch message?

How will you follow up on that with your go-to-market strategy, including target customer segments, marketing channels, and branding approach?

How will you create awareness, generate leads, and convert customers – in a cycle that keeps up the buzz?

7.      Who will deliver your plan?

Who will be your leadership team and key personnel? Highlight relevant experience,

skills, and achievements that make them uniquely qualified to execute your business

plan. Emphasize how the team's diverse strengths complement each other.

8.      How will you use money to fund your idea?

Understand your funding needs and how you intend to raise and use capital. Maybe it’ll come from friends and family, or you’ll perhaps self-fund. The most important thing is to know how much money you will need to get started, where to get it, and how you want to use it.

9.      What would be your ideal exit from your company?

Every founder who brings a new idea to market needs to know how they will eventually move on so they can plan well from the start. Is your vision to bring the product to life and move on to another one? Do you want to IPO and retire? Do you hope to sell the company to another corporate or private buyer? Or do you want to build a business to leave to your children?  Knowing your exit is essential to understanding where you’re headed, as it will determine the speed and direction you want to move across your journey.

10.    Why are you willing to suffer to bring this idea to life?

Creativity is fun and easy but giving birth to a new product/ service / organization is sometimes painful. During the periods in which the journey is challenging, what will motivate you to keep going through the hard times? What and why are you willing to suffer to get to the end?

By cycling your idea through these ten questions, you will avoid getting too attached to ideas that aren’t ready to come alive yet, identify the areas where you may need to explore more for answers, and be charged to focus on what needs to and can exist now. 

For those ready for action, the questions will shift your mind into execution mode and give you the building blocks to create a compelling narrative and life story for your idea. This will instantly make it more real, giving it a tangibility to catalyze the next steps of building, communicating, and executing your plan.

This last space is why traveling this mental journey is worth it. An idea is exciting, but bringing it to life is an experience that delivers the best of human life – joy, connection, challenges, hard-earned growth, freedom, creativity – on a cycle that repeats. Choosing which sparks to follow, why, and in what direction determines the quality of that innovation experience.