Don't Covet Your Ideas

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8 points·jmonegro··9 comments

Although, looking at the guy who invented the "cash point machine" (ATM) and didn't make any money off of it, because he shared the idea with a banking executive, is a sheer example of why it might be a good idea NOT to share it.

Hence the emergence of open source licenses, no? Someone realized that if you give away your idea, someone else will just go an patent it; by enforcing the idea to stay open regardless of whose hands are holding it.

Is the Arduino not a good example of this (and OSS as well, but that's somewhat obvious)?

So then nobody makes money (off the original idea at least). Why not just patent and sell it yourself?

The patent process is still notoriously too expensive for most people with ideas. And idea think tanks are out to rip people off, so it's hard to find partners who are willing to patent an idea that may not be monetized on an aggressive schedule.

A page straight out of "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be." Bought that a long time ago and betting it'd make for a good re-read thanks to this reminder.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0714843377

Or... be careful about who you let see them. Allowing people to piggy back off of your exam answers devalues your own answers.

I'll admit that I have been keeping my ideas as secret as KGB operative but know that this is wrong. Is there a good consensus on how much to share? Should Web 2.0 stuff be kept quiet unless you start to develop? Truly innovative things that can't be easily reproduced in the idea stage?

Addendum -- look at the current issue with Facebook and ConnectU. Know who you are sharing with if you plan to do something with an idea.

Not sure why he says, they're not your ideas anyway. If that was the case, you wouldn't be hoarding them.

And wear sunscreen...

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