It seems like every week I have a conversation with someone about a new idea they have for a product or service. Inevitably the conversation turns into "we need to get this protected immediately" or "we can't let anyone find out". I understand the need for people to feel protective about their idea, however, the reality is you are most likely not the only person to come up with the idea.
New products typically stem from a gap in an industry. If you noticed that gap, you can bet someone else did too. The difference in being successful lies solely in execution. The visionaries are hardly ever the ones that become the most successful. The invention of the modern-day automobile is generally accredited to the German Karl Benz. However, it was Henry Ford that took that concept to new heights with a better implementation in 1914. What about Blockbuster Video's mail in movie rentals? Does anyone even get those now or are we all on Netflix? Be free with your ideas folks. You're wasting a lot of brain power figuring out how to protect it. You should be focused on bringing in the best team that can deliver on execution.
If you still need more convincing, check out this article:
http://techcrunch.com/2009/06/26/is-execution-more-important-than-vision/
Very reminiscent or the story behind the creation of the facebook. While I do agree that ideas can be shared, sometimes I think it is a good thing to wait until the idea has matured far enough that if someone wants to steal it, it's too late because the product is just hitting the shelves! Haha.....
ReplyDeleteThat is a very fair point. It's probably best to not blab the exact details of the idea to everyone, but I think it's fine to share the overall concept. It also depends on the nature and complexity of the idea. Benz could've posted the schematics for his invention at the town hall and I bet only a handful of folks would've remotely known what they were. Even fewer would've had the means to even attempt to start a company with it.
ReplyDeleteThat may be true, but I still don't trust people... You remember what happened to us and DJ Hero!!
ReplyDeleteHaha thats because we didn't EXECUTE! We weren't serious enough about the idea.
ReplyDelete