Start up ideas cannot be fabricated like that. The best start ups ideas come from the "why" and solve a problem that the person is passionate about. It's not just coming up with an idea, it's about whether the idea is solving a problem along with its acceptance and sustainability.
As far as being the CEO, it doesn't matter what the person calls him/her self. Plenty of "founders" or "visionaries" hire or partner with a qualified CEO to run their business once viability is determined.
There really isnt much more to say than what Paul Graham did in this essay http://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html
However, I will add this. As it relates to the CEO coming up with the idea, its a big bonus when founders/ceo are solving their own problem. Its obviously much easier to make a product decision when you can be certain at least one user agrees with it wholeheartedly. That said, Ive build 3 successful (and 1 utter fail) where I was not in fact solving my own problem. In fact I'm working on a new project where I'm not directly the user. But I've come to realize if you are not directly solving your own problems then two things that are essential in building a business:
1) you must become good at extrapolating the needs of users.
2) you must at least be building products that you deeply understand and empathize with.
Ideas: best to come from seeing a need or opportunity and deciding if the PAIN to make it is less than the PLEASURE to the world (better/faster/easier/smarter).
Ideas are easy, starting can be easy too, building is the hard part...thats the CEO
