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15 Comments

How can i ask for idea validation without getting my idea stolen?

Like the title says, how can i ask for idea validation without getting my idea stolen and built by others?

  1. 6

    You should not fear that, remember that ideas are worthless, execution is everything.
    You could have the most beautiful product idea in the world but never execute it, it will always remain a very good idea.
    On the other side a mediocre product idea could turn into a really profitable business if executed perfectly.

    So my advice is: just go for it, if you need validation you need to talk to people, otherwise you will never move out of point 0 😉

    1. 2

      Really good advice. I'd also say it's very hard to find things that don't already exist or will be copied once you are out there. If you are passionate about an idea and someone else isn't that will show in everything you do. As redChili said it comes down to execution.

      1. 2

        Yes exactly! I also find that if a have an idea and there is nothing out there like it, or at least similar, it is not a good sign. It might be that there is no market for such product.

        Given that I do not consider myself smarter or more brilliant than anybody, if I came out with a specific product idea probably someone else already did 😄

  2. 4

    Read the mom test.

    1. 1

      Second this, amazing book on idea validation

      1. 1

        Third this, what you’re trying to figure out if the problem that you think you can solve with your idea is really a problem to begin with AND if the problem is big enough that people are willing to pay for a solution AND that the solution is hopefully your solution.

        So try asking questions like:
        “when was the last time you experienced X” “how are you coping without it”
        “why haven’t you been able to fix this already”
        “That seems to really bug you - I bet there is a story here”

        The more you talk about your product, the worse the answers will be for you as people try to be helpful and tell you what they think you want to hear.

        So instead never ask their opinion, especially about your idea. You should ask about their life, and about specifics in the past when they experienced the problem. And basically talk as little as possible and listen as much as to what the people you’re having conversations with say.

        Oh an never ask “would you” questions unless you’re Nostradamus nobody can predict the future and future behaviour, it will only give you a false sense of hope.

        One final tip, when you have these kinds of conversations, try writing down each remark you hear on a separate post-it or sticky note. This way when you have multiple conversations and you come back to the office you can spread all of the reactions out on a table, quickly visually group similar types of answers together and identify patterns in the answers.

        Hope this helps, now go out and have some truly meaningful conversations trying to identify if you should pursue your idea!

  3. 3

    You should be telling everyone and their dog about your idea to figure out if it has legs. And if it’s good, no one is going to understand it as well as you can, or have the required drive to execute it.

    I started a newsletter to get validation on my ideas. It’s aptly named Steal My Idea because I feared the same thing as you at one time. Then I found out that the fear was outweighing the benefit of feedback.

    Ideas always come back better if you let them go and fuck around out in the world

    You can check out some of mine
    https://www.stealmyidea.io/

    1. 1

      The first paragraph is spot on and everyone probably has experienced this in action. Having a super great idea, know how to execute, go to explain it and the words don't make sense. 🤣 Person hearing you is super confused and thinks you're crazy.

      What's happening is people trying to explain in a few words what pictures in the mind describe. For the other person to truly understand the whole idea, they would have to read a book that you write about the idea, its use, and its implementation.

  4. 1

    Ideas are cheap. Never focus on the idea, focus on execution.

    What makes your product / company unique is your execution, your team, your momentum.

    Think about Uber eat, Deliveroo, Doordash, Foodpanda ;)

  5. 1

    Others already said it correctly - Dont fear about ideas getting stolen, idea + Execution is what matters.

    BUT, if you're still scared of being stolen - validate it yourself by search for topic around it, checking related commmunities (like reddit), ask for indirect question in forums, check google trends & keyword analysers to check search volumes for the related terms.

    Hope it helps.

  6. 1

    I've learned that you need to be more open to your idea. Look at how many content sites are now creating ideas and sharing them through newsletters, podcasts. Hell we could have a marketplace for ideas! Now theres an idea - a marketplace with validated ideas, facts, research and folks can either purchase or bid on the idea.

  7. 1

    It's not the idea that holds value, it's how you choose to execute it. Just be open, honest and transparent and people will let you know what they think.

  8. 1

    Just stop thinking that your idea is sooo great so that anybody wants to steal it. I think it is the first step to get your fears away ;)

    Building a saas basing on somebody else idea sounds a little bit crazy. Remember, building a saas is a real cost.

    Don't be afraid!

    Cheers
    Andrzej
    https://pagemtr.com

  9. 5

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

    1. 4

      Nope, not true, my idea is the best 😉

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