Great ideas spring up every day, but only in certain conditions are they able to bloom. Open-source software is, in fact, one of the best places for these great ideas to bloom.
In a closed-source software environment, a new idea must be proposed to the right person. Then this person or persons must be convinced that the idea is good. Finally, a business model or monetization scheme has to be developed. By the end of all this, the idea has gotten old and, perhaps, been modified and messed with far too much.