Ask HN: How do formalize / capture your ideas?

Code.

I've found it's generally a lost cause to tell people about your ideas and expect them to understand it. They'll try to fit it into their existing conceptual framework, which is probably not what you had in mind.

You've got to show them, so that they've got a new conceptual framework to anchor their ideas to...

Simplified use cases. Present it as an animation or the like. When done properly this communicates a purpose quite well.

Build it and they will comprehend.

Wrong. Case in the point is my startup. We've build it and it works nicely. Most people still do not get it, probably because they do not have time and motivation to understand it.

If your idea is too complex to explain using words the odds are high that the implementation will not fare any better.

the best way to show non-technical people a new concept is by building a base prototype