Jony Ive: “Ideas are always fragile”

February 20, 2024

“Ideas—by definition—are always fragile. If they were resolved, they wouldn’t be ideas. They would be products that were ready to ship.”

The legendary Apple designer continues:

“I’ve come to learn that you have to make an extraordinary effort not to focus on the problems, which are implicated with any new idea. These problems are known. They’re quantifiable and understood. But you have to focus on the actual idea, which is partial, tentative, and unproven.”

All new ideas have problems, and if you don’t suspend your disbelief and trust that you will find a solution, you will lose faith in your idea.

“That is why criticism and focusing on the problems can be so damaging—particularly in the absence of a constructive idea. Remember, opinions are not ideas. Opinions are not as important as ideas. Opinions are just opinions.”