During my university days, I often found myself sitting with friends in the gallery or huddled, taking sips of tea, buzzing with excitement as we bounced ideas off one another. It felt like the world was at our fingertips. From launching a tech startup to creating an app that would reduce Dhaka’s infamous traffic congestion, the ideas just kept flowing. We also spent countless hours brainstorming policies in youth forums, passionately believing that if implemented, they would transform society. We were convinced that once people saw the brilliance of our ideas, change would come effortlessly.

But here’s the thing: ideas are easy. The real challenge is turning them into something concrete.

Looking back, university was a time of tea, fast street food and caffeine induced creativity. There were no limits to what we could dream up. I remember late-night discussions where we’d come up with business plans, tech innovations, and community initiatives. We imagined making everything better!

Once, my friends and I were convinced we could create an app to help manage traffic in Dhaka. We even drew up diagrams, designed features, and debated how to make it user-friendly. But as weeks turned into months, the excitement faded. We realized we not only lacked the technical skills to develop the app ourselves. We didn’t have the money to hire someone to build it for us, and we quickly became overwhelmed by the scale of the project, as people in either the tech industry or social awareness groups would only go so far. Eventually, the idea was shelved.

Coming up with ideas feels like a rush of adrenaline. It’s fun because, in those moments, there are no constraints—no deadlines, no budgets, no barriers. Everything feels possible. But once that initial rush wears off, you’re left with the harder question: How do I make this real?

And then, the reality hits: people don’t behave the way you expect them to. When we first thought about our traffic app, we never considered that people might resist changing their routines, even if it meant shorter commutes. The complexity of human behavior and the unpredictability of real-world implementation started to wear us down. Before shelving the  project from my end, I remember asking myself, “Why am I even doing this?” The excitement I had during brainstorming was gone, replaced by exhaustion and frustration and money for meeting sessions, food, and transport costs.

Another reality check came when I realized that making money to pay bills became an immediate concern. As much as I wanted to change the world with my ideas, I had to face the fact that I needed to support myself and contribute to my family. Around the same time, I noticed some of my friends landing high-paying jobs in a certain telecom MNC and banks. They were climbing the corporate ladder quickly, and sure, they had to work overtime—often from early mornings to late at night—but at least they were raking in money. While I was trying to balance passion projects and side gigs, they had the stability of a steady paycheck. It was hard not to feel a little envious when I saw how quickly they were advancing financially.

So the turning point for me came during my first job after graduation. I joined a small marketing startup, where I was tasked with developing business strategies. We had so many exciting ideas for scaling the business, but once the meeting was over, the hard part began—figuring out how to implement those ideas with our limited resources. My boss was clear from day one: “Ideas are great, but execution is what matters for the business.”

This is why I learned to balance my idealism with practicality. While I still dream about big ideas, I’ve become more grounded in reality. It’s not enough to want to make the world a better place—you need to figure out how to do it in a way that also pays the bills.

So, if you’re like I was—fresh out of university, buzzing with ideas—remember: the thrill of brainstorming is only the beginning. The real magic happens when you roll up your sleeves and start turning those ideas into reality. Even if it means dealing with the boring stuff, the obstacles, and the uncertainty, the effort is worth it. Because in the end, ideas are only as valuable as the execution that follows.