Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: Are you afraid to share new business ideas?

  1. #1
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Are you afraid to share new business ideas?

    Deciding who and how much to tell about your idea for a new business can be a tough call. There's a natural fear that someone might take your idea and run with it.

    In most cases there's little to worry about and sharing your idea can lead to the feedback you need to turn your idea into a reality.

    I'll share one of my own ideas for how I'm growing my business. For awhile I've been wanting to be more entrepreneurial and open up new revenue streams so as not to be dependent on any one.

    I'm working on entering the premium WordPress theme market, which has been growing over the last year, but still isn't overly competitive. I've been working on developing a theme that will be flexible and easy for people to customize without having to edit the theme files. Ideally non developers will find it an easy way to get a custom theme without having to learn too much html and css.

    I'm still early in the development and setting up this forum has sidetracked me for the last week, but I'll get back to the theme soon and hopefully have it ready for sale in a month or so.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

  2. #2
    Queen of the Forum
    Array
    KristineS's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Traverse City, MI
    Posts
    4,732
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I think, for most people, there's some reluctance to share ideas. You never know who you can trust. I'm pretty careful about the people with whom I work. I've got pretty good radar when it comes to business partnerships so I'll duck out if anything feels hinky. I'd rather miss a good opportunity than work with someone I don't trust.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Array
    orion_joel's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    1,242

    Default

    I find that i do tend to have a reluctance to share my ideas with people, which i have come to find is not always due to a lack of trust, but more so i see a lack of need to do so.

    The biggest issue for me in sharing idea's with people is that i have many many time been in the position that i have found someone to share an idea with which i had good numbers on and it looked like a fantastic idea, only to have them spend the next hour trying to tell me it wont work, but they never refute the numbers i have come up with just the idea it self.

    I find that it is much easier to just go out and make things happen yourself, while getting feedback from people you trust as you go. Once you get the idea started, and people see it working it is really kind of difficult for them to start down the "no way that idea will never work" track.

    Your idea of the Premium Wordpress theme sounds like a pretty good idea, i am far from a designer myself, and while i have started using wordpress, i have been kind of limited in what i have wanted to do because i want it to look pleasing to the eye while not over the top, and just have so much trouble finding a theme that does it how i want it.
    Joel Brown
    My Travels

  4. #4
    Queen of the Forum
    Array
    KristineS's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Traverse City, MI
    Posts
    4,732
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Joel, I think there's something to what you're saying. I have a reluctance to share ideas because I've encountered the same thing you have, someone trying to shoot my idea down without refuting why I think it will work. Some people just aren't comfortable with taking chances. I'm not sure why that is, but I've seen it again and again.

  5. #5
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Joel I hear you about not sharing ideas. One of the things I've found is you have to be selective in who you share with if you want an honest opinion.

    There are some people I know will always tell me anything I do is great so while I may still share my ideas with them I know they're being overly optimistic about them. I also know people who will tear apart any idea. I know not to take their criticism to heart.

    Then there are a group of people in between, people who I can trust to be honest with me. They'll help me shape the idea a little by asking questions I hadn't considered and give me good feedback about whether the idea has legs or not. Sometimes I also like sharing the general idea with the market it will be aimed at. You can pick up a lot of feedback about whether or not they really want what I'm planning to create.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Array
    huntwriter's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    10

    Default

    I have to admit that I am reluctant to share business ideas with others. However, I have learned over the years to obtain advice and feedback without letting the cat out of the sack so to speak.

    My fear of sharing business ideas originates from an experience I had as a young man. I had a brilliant idea but did not know if it is possible to do. It never has been done before. I asked an expert in the field and he said. “Your absolutely off your rocker, it’s suicide.”

    Three years later I read in a newspaper that my “expert” became famous. Yep you all guessed it. The guy stole my “suicidal” idea. Over many years of hard work I still managed to get to the top of my profession and even outdo the “expert”, but that single experience made me shut up about my ideas.

  7. #7
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I can understand why you'd be hesitant to share. I think there's a balance where you can share some things without giving too much away. The feedback can be really helpful and while some people will look to steal your idea, most won't.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Array
    orion_joel's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    1,242

    Default

    On considering your responses to my post, i think that it comes down to really learning people skills, really knowing how to read people, and not just in the moment but over a time period. For example you may take 10 ideas to the same 10 people, 4 of them will hate every idea, 4 of them will love every idea, and 2 will ask you questions, that open new doors for you.

    But i think that this can all come down to human nature. A certain percentage of people do not like risk they want to avoid risk and want everyone else to avoid risk so they are going to be trying to help people avoid it. Another group are people that always want to appear to be pleaseing, so they may be agreeable and think the idea's are all great because they want to be seen as being agreeable. While the odd few people are wanting to avoid risk, but also want to be agreeable, so they have to ask questions to find out everything they can before going one way or another.

    I think the people that you need to be wary of as huntwriter made a point about, is expert's who take a keen interest in an idea but tell you it is suicide or to risky.
    Joel Brown
    My Travels

  9. #9
    Post Impressionist
    Array
    vangogh's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Boulder, Colorado
    Posts
    15,059
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    All true. You do have to know who to ask. I guess I learned that a few years back when I was trying to be a writer and I'd show people my stories and gauge their reaction. You get to learn what people will likely say before they say it and use that as a baseline.

    It's true that it's really only a certain few that will steal your idea. Most ideas still take a lot of work before they amount to anything and most people aren't looking to do that work so they aren't going to steal the idea. Some though do have the expertise like you say and recognize the idea for what it is. Those are the ones you have to watch out for.
    l Join me as I share my creative process and journey as a writer | StevenBradley.me
    l Design, Development, Marketing, and SEO Tutorials | Steven Bradley's Notebook
    l Get my book about Design Fundamentals

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Array
    rocketman's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    9

    Default

    At some point everyone must get over the fear of losing an idea because you will not be able to do it by yourself. Just walking up to a lawyer to get a patent forces you to disclose information.

    The key is to act on your idea quickly. The longer you hold on to it the more likely someone will have the same idea or simply act on yours.
    http://www.BeHeron.com - "Invent Like Heron"

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •