Idea driven technology or Technology drive idea?

Is your idea an outcome of the technology or is the technology being used as a part of the idea?

If your idea has born out of technology, that means your idea is only limited to that particular technology. It is rather an opportunity that came with the technology and its existence depends upon the technology. In that case, the idea can not be replicated in future technologies.

But if your idea is not dependent on a particular technology, you will be able to use upcoming future technologies to pursue the objective.

The short-term game is always dependent upon technology while the long-term game is about using the upcoming technologies.

Which game are you in?

Example:

If the idea is to build environment-friendly automobiles, you will use the available technologies to pursue the objective, today its an electric car, tomorrow it can be a hydro-based car and the innovation will continue.

But, if the agenda is to only build an electric car, as there is a market for the electric car and everyone seems to be conscious about the environment then it only a technology-driven idea. Innovation will only be around electric cars.

And in this 21st century where technology is changing at a very fast rate, it can be quiet detrimental if your idea is only fixed to a particular technology. In earlier days, it was easier to build a career on a single technology but in today's dynamic scenario, it might not be feasible.

We certainly need to do a cross-check whether our idea is specific to the platform/technology or is it beyond.

If we are driven by a vision, it is easy to see how future technologies can be utilised in achieving your objective otherwise hopping from one place to another is a never-ending process.