Recently, we attended an event hosted by the Japan Association of New Economy, where ten up-and-coming startups gave short presentations about their businesses. Each one introduced an innovative concept that made us think, “That’s brilliant! This could be huge!” Naturally, these startups were carefully selected, and the judges must have chosen only those they truly believed had strong potential.
Events like this aren’t rare. There are many occasions where promising startups are introduced, recognized, or awarded. We’ve attended several over the years, and every time, we’ve thought, “This one’s going to succeed for sure.”
However…
Only a handful of those companies actually experience major growth ten years later. In fact, many of them don’t even make it past three years.
Even though all of them have fresh, exciting ideas that seem destined for success, the reality is far more complicated. No matter how good the idea is, competitors will always emerge. And beyond the idea itself, true success depends on countless other factors—people, funding, timing, management, and execution. Without these in place, even the best ideas struggle to survive.
A great idea alone does not guarantee success. On the other hand, there are countless examples of companies that built thriving businesses from ideas that seemed ordinary or unremarkable at first.
When launching something truly new and original, it’s not enough to rely on creativity alone. It’s just as important to strengthen the other foundations of success— team, capital, structure, and persistence. Only when all of these align can innovation truly turn into lasting growth.
