My Startup Idea is Stolen!
Well, everybody at some point in time gets this feeling and it is absolutely normal. Why “NORMAL” because it is a genuine feeling that comes but if you are every now and then fussy about it then there is definitely more thinking to do about it.
There is big news and you feel awful for the victim, but the odds that it will happen to you is rare — extremely low. It is a common fear that manifests with the entrepreneurs old and young. One of the most common questions, we come across by any early-stage entrepreneur is, “How do I know that my idea won’t be stolen?” However, there is no specific statistic for the entrepreneurs being screwed over by the idea stealers, it is really not a common occurrence and it shouldn’t be something you manage your decision making and here is why:
Most of the people are too busy to steal your ideas
Honestly speaking, even the people who admire your ideas are less likely to put in an effort to execute it. There seems to be a very obvious acute fear of investors stealing ideas. Keep in mind that the process of execution includes real customer development and changing the product as per clients/customers expectation are surely hardworking and learning moments that any idea stealer has that much guts and capabilities to do it.
No mystique, no genius- Only work
Don’t buy into the genius mystique, it is a mirage. Maybe there are geniuses out there but you can’t go on assuming that you are the one. That’s like living as if you are going to win the lottery on a regular basis. No, the value comes from the work and no one is going to do more than you can. There will be always some or the other loopholes
For you, it might be important but is not that important at all
There is no denying the fact that your ideas aren’t appealing, but the same idea wouldn’t be appealing to others. If you truly have the seed of the great start-up in your hands it requires tireless hard work and great determination. So, someone getting hold of just your ideas isn’t really stealing the most important parts of the business from you unless he/she does all the hard work to put into practice.
Hold on to what you have got
It is obvious to get this weird feeling to any newbie entrepreneur, and just why not newbie even the well-established entrepreneurs become fussy about somebody stealing their Einstein ideas. The ideas feel like the one piece you have to hang out to and you hold on to so tight that no one else can get through. But did you ever think that in the process, you might miss out constructive feedback? People might want to help you to progress.
The truth is only a few ideas are unique, for instance, Google wasn’t the only search engine, or Salesforce wasn’t a first CRM tool etc. They just out-executed their competitors that’s all.
_________________
As always, let me know your thoughts on the topic. I’d love to hear your ideas and views in the comments below.
Also, if you would like to read more captivating stuff on the topics of entrepreneurship, marketing, social media, leadership, technology, innovation and venture capital via my regular posts then please click ‘Follow’ and feel free to connect via SlideShare, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
P.S. here are my other Articles on Linkedin & Articles on Medium.
