Is the "Execution is everything, ideas are nothing" advice actually dangerous for deep-tech and hardware startups?

We’ve all heard the classic startup mantra: "An idea is worth nothing, execution is everything." In the SaaS world, that’s mostly true. You launch a MVP, pivot fast, and out-hustle the competition.

​But I’m seeing this advice ruin early-stage deep-tech, hardware, and manufacturing startups.

​When your product requires months of R&D, heavy engineering, or solving complex technical roadblocks, you can't just "out-execute" a massive player with 100x your budget if they decide to clone you. If you validate the market without protecting the underlying invention, your execution just becomes a free proof-of-concept for someone else.

​I run an innovation firm, and the biggest heartbreak is seeing an early founder build something brilliant, get zero IP protection because they thought "speed was their moat," and then get completely blocked or copied before they even hit scale.

​For the deep-tech and hardware founders here: How do you balance the pressure to launch fast with the absolute necessity of building a patent/IP wall early on? At what point did you realize execution wasn't going to be enough to protect you?