Ask HN: Ever had a game changing idea while working for a startup?

[pisequal2np]

I work for a an awesome startup, love the work I do and build amazing products everyday. As in every startup I'm responsible for the entire life-cycle of one of our core products. I have had an idea for some time (weekend project) that could be a game changer for the company that I could easily introduce into the product. Now, I can quite as easily start my own startup and build a better product from the ground up ? Have you guys ever had to think twice before building something awesome for your employer because you can do it on your own ?<p>PS : I got employed by the startup after a Series D and don't have a significant chunk of options to be proud about.

[doctorwho]

Do you have an employment agreement or contract with your employer? Most will ask you to sign something that says all the ideas you have while working for them (related to your job) belong to them, regardless of when you come up with them. While the enforcability of such clauses may be questionable they can probably tie you up in court long enough to make your idea worthless, or at least to give themselves long enough to run with it.

[pisequal2np → doctorwho]

I have of course signed a boilerplate contract, but the real question is not if I can start a startup with my idea , but the fact that I'm not going to be happy about the product I'm building because I know of a better way to do it.

[gamechangr]

That's not kosher!! Don't forget that you've been paid every month by your employer for that leaving curve. It maybe tempting, but it's not honest.

Pretend you left and started your own company, how would you feel about paying an employee for a year to learn your model and have them become your competition?

[mindcrime → gamechangr]

how would you feel about paying an employee for a year to learn your model and have them become your competition?

They paid him to do whatever it was they hired him to do... and presumably he has done just that, or would have been fired already. I don't see how one can claim that he owes any additional allegiance to his employer just because he was learning while he worked there.

As long as he isn't talking about taking trade secrets or information that was specifically identified as proprietary to the employer, it's not dishonest at all. Your employer doesn't own your brain and every thought you have, just because you happen to work for them.

[pisequal2np → gamechangr]

This is a startup !!,they are not paying me to learn their model and become a productive employee one day, I started building the product as a subject matter expert from day one. . Also the game changer does not involve any trade secrets/existing processes of the company.

[doctorwho → pisequal2np]

Then as long as the agreement you signed doesn't limit your options you know your choices... give them the idea or run with it yourself.

If you give it up you can always try to negotiate with them first, but be prepared for the possibility that they just walk you to the door or quietly start hunting for your replacement.

The only things stopping you from building a competing product are starting from scratch, risk of failure and giving up a steady paycheck.

But it sounds like you know all this, so what's the real question? Are you looking for encouragement? Discouragement?

If you love the work, like getting paid (and have someone else worry about where the $ are coming from), don't want to take on all the risk of a new startup by yourself then pitch the idea and carry on.

If you're feeling cheated because you joined the game too late (series D) to reap any significant financial benefit if an exit event takes place then you can try and negotiate with them, but the idea had better be solid and something they couldn't have just dreamt up and implemented without you. Make sure your valuation of the idea is in line with reality before you try to use it as a bargaining chip.