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So someone "stole" your idea

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Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#31

Post by personlurking »

singold wrote: post #20

It happened to me (more than once... ugh) that some "cool idea" gets implemented by someone else. I really never feel they "stole my idea", for me it is more like a validation that my ideas don't suck that much :P

Agreed, especially when it happens to you a dozen times in 5-7 years. I have ideas that I've had to wait 2 years for them to be implemented (by others, usually the big names) and I've had a few that took 6-7 years. Members of my family have startups so I have a sense of what it takes to make it work (operate), let alone make it successful. Part of the equation, though, is implementing in the right environment and/or point in time, like the article says.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#32

Post by User8712 »

I hate the you stole my idea logic, because it's insulting to the people that actually succeeded. For example, let's take the Oculus Rift. VR headsets have been around for a long time, and all sorts of companies have tried to implement them and failed. New attempts show up on the radar all the time, and disappear even quicker. If the Oculus Rift proves to be successful, you'll have other companies complaining they stole the idea of VR, or your grandmother is going to say she thought of VR when she was a child, and she'd be a millionaire if it wasn't for the Oculus Rift stealing her thunder.

Meanwhile in reality, the idea is not what made the platform successful, but the countless hours and minds invested in nailing the execution. As I said, it's an insult to say otherwise.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#33

Post by wise_young_man »

My thought on this is that, I think up "my" idea so that way it benefits people in some way and because I feel the market is not satisfying a need as well as for my own use. So if someone else comes in and does it and I can use it, I actually see that as a good thing as I would rather see software solve problems than never exist.

One example I keep getting stuck on is a Craigslist competitor I've worked off and on as a side project for the past 3 or so years. Every time I get frustrated or stuck on some aspect I think of another way to get past it. I still haven't seen anything really competitive emerge in the space that users have wanted. If it isn't my idea that executes the vision and it is someone else, I will still be happy that it happened at all as I think eBay/Craigslist duopoly is not enough or sufficient for C2C/B2C local and shipping transactions.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#34

Post by dclowd9901 »

Look out everyone, we've got a crazy and very original idea here!

I'm sorry for the overwrought sarcasm, but hasn't this been understood around these parts for, what, years now? Why the hell is this blog post on the front page?

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#35

Post by ChuckMcM »

I really appreciate the author's attitude, and I suppose it helps that it aligns well with my philosophy of execution over ideation :-)

One of the things to keep in mind is that ideas are rarely successful in a vacuum. That is to say that an idea that is an accelerent on other things around it, is often more successful than a standalone idea. When an idea makes other things 'better' people invested in those other parts of the system encourage its adoption.

I often point people at comparisons of open hardware vs closed hardware. When you have open hardware you get a bunch of different people who are invested in it succeeding and that builds a stronger product base and a bigger area of effect. People with proprietary hardware solutions just don't get the extra lift.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#36

Post by taude »

Counter point (thought not arguing against what the actual article content contained, which "was we tried that idea years ago, but failed").

I've been contacted by investors before to look at business plans/technology. They didn't like the founders/team, or thought the idea was really good, but missing a couple things, or they had a different direction they'd run it in. So idea theft does happen. Those with money, power and contacts with the ability to execute DO take ideas and run with them on their own.

The investors were inspired by the startup/founder idea....and then they go execute without original team, assembling their own crack team of pros to execute.

I'm not surprised we don't talk about this sort of thing around here more often. It's a gigantic, dirty pile of laundry no one wants to touch. No one in their right mind would defend the practice. The people doing it will deny it. Those who have suffered from it are often publicaly shamed for suggesting such (see a lot of the general attitudes of the comments in this thread).

It makes sense that this practice is more prevalent than people wish to think. Maybe one factor that explains so many "me-too" startups?

Edit: Maybe I could call this phenomenon "Idea inspiration."

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#37

Post by grannyg00se »

I'm not really concerned about my ideas. I'm concerned about someone taking advantage of all my time and effort validating a potential market with an mvp, then swooping in with a slight tweak and crushing me with a new viewpoint and excellent, well funded execution.

I think that's just plain market competition :)

I'd like some way to say ..."hey...I'm going to try something out....I'd like for nobody on the planet to compete for at least 5 years while I give it my best. After that feel free, but in the meantime leave the potential market all to me."

I think that's how some people expect to (ab)use the patent system to their advantage.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#39

Post by tluyben2 »

Someone showed me an online service yesterday which does location based notifications and peddles it as an original idea. Now in the past 20 years, and with growing frequency (due to smartphones), I have heard this idea explained; I helped a company pitch it to investors in 1999. Yet still people think this is a) original b) worth asking me to sign a NDA for.

A lot of people seem to 'steal' my ideas; the ones I executed and didn't execute. Except they stole nothing nor did they necessarily get the idea from me :) I'm not a big fan of 'ideas'. Execute them and work hard to make them into a success.

Re: So someone "stole" your idea

#40

Post by wise_young_man »

jmcqk6 wrote: post #3

This is a pet peeve of mine. When someone talks about having their idea stolen, it really bothers me. It especially bothers me if they tell me "now don't steal my idea, but..." I don't want your idea. I have too many of my own. Here, take some of mine. Most likely, I'll think your idea is shit anyway, because almost all ideas are shit when they are just an idea. For an idea to have value it needs to be backed by some…

I agree. I almost wonder if when people say that it's as if it's their only idea they've ever had. From my experience and some friends, we constantly get new ideas and talk about them. I wish I could build them all. Take some from me and go build it!
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