In search of the original idea

I remember watching a beautiful mind and getting inspired by the protagonist's search for an original idea in math. Everyone of his classmates was following protocol and doing research on what the professors wanted them to do, but the protagonist was against the idea of being average. His belief was that a person should pursue an original idea and explore it to the end. This way you'll be more satisfied than just following procedure. The original idea takes time to find but once found it is worth more in the long-term obviously. It is the same in business, it might take you time to map out your business plan and execute it, but if the idea is original and economically viable the returns will be exponential.