Ask HN: Sending Detailed Project Ideas

[GB_001]

Hello, over the last few months I've gained a couple notable contacts. Both have told me if I have any ideas I'd like to show them I can email them anytime.

Recently I've had trouble picking an idea out of 4 different detailed project descriptions I made, one of which I will make a working demo of to present to various incubators. After much frustration I decided to email both of them asking if I can send these documents in confidence to help with my decision, both agreed.

Right as I'm about to send them I feel slightly anxious that they might be taken.

Are my fears valid?

[kls]

Seriously, even if your idea is good, you are going to have to beat people over the head to come along with you. History is littered with some of the greatest inventions almost not happening because people did not believe in it, or could not be bothered to invest effort in it because they where too busy.

Take myself for example, I would be the kind of guy, you would be worried about stealing your idea, I am a developer who has done several start-ups. I could build it, and I could get the money to grow it. The reality though is if you told me what you where doing, I would give you honest feedback and wish you well. The reason being, I am too involved in my own idea, and too emotionally invested in it, to drop what I am doing to try and steal yours. Not only that, you would be hard pressed to get me to help you beyond some recommendations, because I am just to busy.

It's the same pattern with investors, people that have the capability to steal your idea are just to busy already. You have an uphill battle just convincing them to come along for the ride with you. Think about it, if you talked to a VC, they are not going to go advertise for developers assembly a team and develop it, just because they think it is a great idea.

If they think it is that great, they are going to take the easier path and just fund you. Fears of the established person (the people you should be talking to) stealing your idea are overblown.

[chris_dcosta → kls]

I think you expanded on Eric's quote perfectly.

[kls → chris_dcosta]

Thanks and for the most part it is correct, though many people come back and say ok what about Zuckerberg. Which is valid but a different case all together, Zuckerberg was a freelancer who was hired to implement the idea, he is not the type of person that you would go out and validate an idea against. If anything Zuckerberg is an example of why you should seriously consider a tech-cofounder over hiring a freelancer.

I say that as a freelancer, are most freelencers going to steal your idea? no. Could a situation arise in which they fell they have put in the work and are not getting paid, then decide to take the code, they have an investment in and run with it? Sure. I can't say that if, I was 10% from completion and not getting paid that I would not be tempted to recoup the skin I have in the game.

There are a lot of ethical grey areas and a lot of fall out that can happen after the idea phase, and that is where most of these my idea was stolen horror stories come from. But at that point your idea is actually worth something, because someone has some skin in the game, by putting forth some effort to make the idea happen and if it's just their skin and not yours they may feel justified in seeking compensation for their part.

Please don't take my commentary as weighing in on the ethics or as a critique of Zuckerberg, I am just highlighting where and how, ideas get stolen and it is generally never when it is just an idea.

[GB_001 → kls]

Thank you both for the feedback. I'll send them. All I can do is hope that this isn't a rare occasion.

[chris_dcosta]

"Here's the cure: take an idea that isn't closest to your heart, but good none the less, and try and give it away for free to the big players in that industry, the people who could do something with it if they were so inclined... " quote from Eric Reis