Founders: were you afraid of people stealing your idea at the beginning?

I keep hearing: “ideas are cheap, execution is everything.”
Intellectually, I agree.

But now that I’m actually trying to get my first users, I’ve noticed something weird: I’m suddenly more hesitant to share details publicly. Not because I think I built something revolutionary.

More because early on, before traction, before momentum, your idea sometimes feels like one of the few things you actually have. At that stage, sharing can feel strange.

Part of you wants feedback, wants to build in public, wants people to challenge your assumptions.

And another part quietly thinks: “What if someone sees this and just builds it faster or better?”. I know the classic answer is: execution matters more than ideas.

But I wonder if that becomes easier to believe once you're further ahead. Curious if other founders felt this too.

Did you become more open over time? Or did you intentionally keep some things private in the early days?