Binance Founder CZ Says 90% of Ideas Are Viable, Key Is Execution
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao stated that he is often asked whether entrepreneurial ideas are feasible, as if his opinion is very important. He believes that if a team has strong execution capabilities, 99% of ideas are good.
The problem is that 98% of teams fail in execution. He suggests that there is no need to pitch ideas to him, but rather to directly show execution results. The post received thousands of likes and hundreds of shares, sparking discussions in the crypto and entrepreneurial circles.
Zhao emphasized that ideas themselves are cheap and easily replicated; what is truly scarce is the ability to continuously implement and iterate. He pointed out that most startup failures are not due to poor ideas, but rather because teams cannot convert plans into products, users, and revenue.
This viewpoint is consistent with his past public statements, where he has repeatedly emphasized that speed, feedback adjustment, and focusing on product users take precedence over perfect planning. Some responses agreed with the notion of "showing completed progress rather than depicting opportunity scale."
The post did not target any specific project or funding, but rather offered general advice. There are many projects in the crypto industry, many of which remain at the white paper or concept stage, lacking verifiable delivery.
From a market mechanism perspective, investors and users are more concerned with verifiable progress rather than stories. Teams that can continuously deliver products and user growth receive funding and attention, while projects with only ideas face pressure. Resources flow towards projects that have validated execution rather than early concept pitches.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Changpeng Zhao has repeatedly emphasized quick decision-making and execution during the founding of Binance, achieving leading trading volume from scratch in about six months in 2017, attributed to team execution and user focus. He has publicly stated that early priorities should be on products and users, with compliance and marketing to follow, and reflected that if he could do it again, he would address compliance earlier.
In terms of capital pathways, resources are shifting from idea evaluation to verifiable delivery. Investors are reducing reliance on early concepts and are more focused on product iterations, user data, and actual revenue. Institutions like YZi Labs also prefer teams with execution records rather than purely narrative projects.
This is similar to the early Silicon Valley saying "ideas are cheap, execution is everything," or the contrast between the numerous white paper projects that fail in the crypto industry and the few that continue to deliver. The current phase is transitioning from concept hype to delivery validation.
Essentially, this is a filtering mechanism for resource allocation. There is an oversupply of ideas but a scarcity of execution capability, and the market concentrates funding and attention on verifiable progress. The mechanism operates under information asymmetry, where investors reduce risk through actual delivery, making it difficult for projects lacking execution evidence to gain sustained support.
ABAB News · Law of Cognition
Almost all ideas are good, almost all execution is poor
Don't sell stories, show what has been delivered
Resources flow to those who can continuously implement