

Don't Keep Your Startup Idea a Secret - mikesabat
http://shelfmade.wordpress.com/2007/10/27/dont-keep-your-idea-a-secret/

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cellis
This is completely unfounded advice, and in my opinion, stupid advice. Ideas
do get stolen, regardless of what you've read.

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mikesabat
Do you know someone? Can you give an example of someone that was starting a
business told someone the idea and that person went and ran with the business?

I believe that it may happen, but it feels like an urban legend - I've never
actually seen it or heard it.

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pg
It does happen. Not as often as founders fear, but it does happen.

The writer would have been closer to the truth if he said that founders
generally err on the side of secrecy.

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mikesabat
"It does happen." I believe it has happened, but the whole point of the post
is do you know anyone that this has ever happened to?

And if you don't know anyone this has happened to, how do you know that it
actually happens?

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pg
A company claiming to be interested in buying Viaweb instead copied us (as
well as they could) and went on to be very successful. They didn't kill us,
because they were in Japan. But I expect they did make it harder for Yahoo to
launch a Japanese version of Store.

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mikesabat
This is a good example. I'm guessing you didn't only tell them the idea, you
opened up your books, detailed plans and possibly even your code.

A potential sale situation is different from taking the first steps on the
idea. You had already started building the company.

I think managing the disclosure of sensitive information is a totally
different topic (one which I wish I knew a little more about).

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pg
It was so early that we had no books to open, and they were business guys who
would not have understood our code if we'd shown it to them. All we did was
explain what we were doing.

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gabrielleydon
"Of course we aren't talking trade secrets we're talking business ideas, and
ones that aren't glaringly obvious."

Glaringly obvious to who? Your start up idea might not seem glaringly obvious
to you but don't assume it isn't to your competition!

~~~
mikesabat
Flying Cars.

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gabrielleydon
Flying Cars? whats your point?

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mikesabat
"Flying Cars" isn't a good answer to your question, agreed, but it is an
obvious idea - to everyone.

Chances are that if you are starting a business and you have competition
already that they have thought of your idea or something similar and chose not
to do it for whatever reason.

My business is www.shelfmade.net - I am now friends with a guy at
sharedbook.com. Look how similar the businesses are. I have told him my ideas
and he has told me a good deal bout his company. As obvious as I think my idea
would be to his company, they are just not into it. They are not going to
steal the idea unless I first prove it - then they would know about it anyway.

(Sorry my thoughts are a bit scattered- don't directly address your question,
but I'm sure there is a point somewhere)

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dyu
What if the idea is still just an idea, and you plan to implement it but
haven't started? There is no headstart in this case.

~~~
mikesabat
Talking to people will help you evaluate and refine the idea. Making changes
and finding a market is really the beginning of "working" on an idea.

