This study investigate what makes individuals (entrepreneurs, employees in organisations) decide to proceed with innovative ideas. This is an important topic as practitioners in organisations (managers, entrepreneurs) and policy makers face the challenge of realising continuous innovation. Three main arguments are proposed to be directly associated with the decision to innovate: perceived pay-off, situation control and intrinsic motivation. The three main arguments provide a basis for a cumulative, three-componential theory of an individuals decision to proceed with innovative ideas.