MSME Digest with Kola Owolabi
…How to Resolve the Ideas’ Saturation Dilemma
In the last edition, we discussed how the true entrepreneur never runs out of ideas. The problem, however, is that the same blessing often becomes a burden — what I call the ideas’ saturation dilemma. You wake up each day with five new ideas and go to bed with ten more. Each seems brilliant, profitable, and urgent. The question then is: which one should you go for first?
The answer lies in one simple but powerful principle — pursue the idea your present resources can carry. Every entrepreneur must understand that resources — money, skills, time, equipment, networks, and even goodwill — are the lifeblood of execution. It’s not the magnitude of your ideas that counts, but the adequacy of what you already have to bring one of them to life. The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is to jump at the most exciting idea rather than the most feasible one.
Let’s take a simple example. Suppose you have ideas to start a bottled water plant, open a mobile food business, and develop an app that connects artisans to clients. All three are viable. But if what you have now is a small savings, a personal car, and a good recipe, then the food business is your best starting point. It is the idea your current resources can serve. As the profits roll in, you can reinvest and gradually move toward your bigger dreams. The successful entrepreneur does not despise small beginnings — he uses today’s small idea to fund tomorrow’s bigger one.
This principle also helps to discipline your entrepreneurial hunger. Every idea, no matter how brilliant, must pass through what I call the resource test. Ask yourself:
Do I have enough knowledge and skill to execute this idea now?
Do I have access to the key tools, people, and networks it requires?
Can I start on a small scale and expand as I grow?
If the answer is “no” to all, then park that idea in your notebook — not your heart. Let it mature while you pursue what is within your immediate reach. You don’t have to kill your other ideas; just keep them in your “ideas bank” for when your capacity expands.
Entrepreneurs who master this discipline remain productive, not overwhelmed. They move from one successful idea to another, each one funded by the last. The truth is, your vision may be big, but implementation always begins small. The best entrepreneurs are not those with the biggest ideas but those who can translate their available resources into action at any given time.
So, the next time your mind floods with ten opportunities, pause and remember: the right idea is the one your current resources can power today. That is how you conquer the ideas’ saturation dilemma and keep your entrepreneurial journey alive and fruitful.
If you agree with the above reasoning, then we shall move ahead to the next post which will address how you can translate the idea you have chosen to raw cash, that is, how do I make money from my idea?Kola Owolabi , CEO, David Solomon Consulting Limited is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC.CMC). The company can be reached via phone or WhatsApp at 08023203198
