‘DNA’ of an Idea

Entrepreneurship is the journey of a creative idea from conceptualization to commercialisation. It is the progress of “Discovery, Novelty and Art (DNA). It is about the knowledge we share, the opportunities we create, the activities we engage in, the problems we solve, the potentials in us and the possibilities we think about. There are discoveries in a discovery. There is novelty in novelty and there are possibilities in art. An entrepreneur swims in the rivers of creativity and not in the reverse. An entrepreneur is wired to create and created to ‘wire’ (connect the dots). According to Steve Jobs, creativity is simply connecting the dots.

So, whether you are a creator, or you are a dot connector, your greatest asset is an entrepreneurial idea. No idea, no creativity! No idea, no connectivity! No idea, no discoveries. No discoveries, no idea. No ‘DNA’, no idea. No idea, no possibilities. No possibilities, no advancement. Just like an atom which is the smallest unit of matter known to retain all chemical properties of an element, an idea is the smallest unit of creativity known to retain all the entrepreneurial properties (DNA) of an invention, innovation, business, product, process, etc.

Whether good or bad, ideas emanate from observation and imagination. Ideas are the building blocks of institutes and industries. Ideas are the propellers of research and development (R&D). The evolution of imagination and observation precedes every industrial revolution. Creative ideas help transform the economy and modernize the society. Entrepreneurs are individuals or organizations who contribute to the transformation of society through innovation, value creation and the application of creative ideas to problem solving.

Everyone needs an entrepreneurial idea to thrive in their fields – artisans, academics, politicians, entertainers, educators, administrators, instructors, etc. Idea, like knowledge, helps us know and makes us known. Those who think critically and creatively are individuals who observe the trends in their fields and imagine possibilities. Everyone who thinks of possibilities is entrepreneurial, but it is everyone who undertakes entrepreneurial responsibility that is a true entrepreneur. Having the entrepreneurial mindset is being able to think of possibilities. Entrepreneurial skill sets are however needed for the implementation of possibilities which involves risk-taking.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a complex molecule that contains genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism. It is found in almost every cell in living organisms. Entrepreneurship is everything about possibility thinking. Embedded in an entrepreneurial idea are Discoveries, Novelty and Art (DNA) – POSSIBILITIES. Idea barrenness is the capital reason for the scarceness of entrepreneurial exploits and originality. Entrepreneurial possibilities are leadership responsibilities (actions). Without entrepreneurial actions, works of art will only remain creative and not lucrative. An idea may look creative, it does not necessarily mean that it is a lucrative opportunity. The dynamism of entrepreneurship comes as a result of the expressed possibilities in art, science, technology, commerce, industry, etc. Again, possibilities are responsibilities.

In his book Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Peter Drucker said, “Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice. So, whether it is a business idea or an entrepreneurial idea, an entrepreneur is a practitioner of possibilities. The DNA of an idea is not an end in itself, rather, it is a means to an end – POSSIBILITIES and THE FUTURE.

Whether it is a discovery or an invention, the possibilities in a single idea cannot be exhausted. The energy of an idea is from zero to infinity. The ‘DNA’ of an idea is the foundation of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a practice of possibilities – connecting the dots in diverse fields. An entrepreneur is a thinker and worker of possibilities.

You have no idea what is in an idea! An idea is not just a discovery, novelty or art, it is possibilities and responsibilities. Entrepreneurship is a function of the entrepreneur. The ‘DNA’ of an idea cannot find expression without the entrepreneur.

You have no idea what your idea can create. You have no idea the ideas your creativity can generate. You have no idea what your imagination and observation can contribute to science, technology, arts and humanity. Remember, there is art in arts, there is science in science and technology in technology. So, assuming your idea is scientific, technological or art-based, that idea carries the entrepreneurial property (DNA) of a potential invention, innovation, business, product, process, etc.

No need for “DNA test.” Why?

1. Every idea is unique – Creativity is not only about imagination or observation, it is also about the recombination of imaginations and observations. The uniqueness of a creative idea comes from the rivers of possibilities (innovation) as well as the reverse of possibilities (exnovation).
2. Every idea comes from borrowed brilliance – Whether creative ideas are traceable to a source or they are being outsourced, the truth of the matter is, every idea emanates from borrowed brilliance. The idea of imitation is not bad neither is the imitation of an idea. Entrepreneurs know that they must ‘imitaste’ before they imitate, that is, “copy and taste” before they “copy and paste.” Don’t just “copy right”, copy the right things.
3. Every idea is anybody’s idea. – As long as it has not yet morphed into a tangible product, every idea is anybody’s idea. Intellectual Property (IP) is not an “entrepreneurial property”, it is the entrepreneur’s property – a full-fledged and tangibly expressed creative idea protected by law. The best-known types of IP are patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets for polished proprietary products as in industry or published research findings as in academia as the case may be.

An idea is not an intellectual property. An intellectual property is not an idea. Know the difference. There is nothing like idea theft, only IP theft. There is nothing like DNA test for an idea if such exists. However, IP can be scrutinized to ascertain the claims of the inventive process or the statements of novelty.

DNA rules the world!

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