Sharing is Caring
I’ve been hesitant to share my business idea on the blog because I really don’t have much to show for in regards to all the work I’ve done at the moment. Yet when it comes to sharing my idea with close and trusted friends and family, I never hesitate. And as of late, I’ve been a little reckless in sharing my idea with anyone who asks (which I’ve vowed to stop doing).
And although anyone could take my business idea and make it work (it’s a simple idea), I’ve come to find that sharing my ideas isn’t really as risky as it first appeared to be because an idea isn’t anything truly valuable until it falls into the hands of someone who is willing to invest the time, energy, and passion to bring it to life (definite run-on sentence). I’ve also found that sharing can really serve as an indicator of where the idea falls in terms of feasibility, need, probability of success, et cetera. When people have seen me get excited about what I’m thinking about doing, they in turn get excited for me and have actually contributed some very good ideas and brought up some good points to ponder. It has also served as a reality check because people are usually quick to point out flaws and possible issues.
In the end, sharing my business idea has been a Godsend, which is a little strange in a business climate when sharing is a liability and people are determined to keep things under wraps. Of course, not all aspects and specifics of a business idea should be shared, especially if it poses a risk to your competitive advantage. Yet sharing ideas with individuals whose opinion, criticism, and input I trust has definitely been beneficial in my quest for entrepreneurship – you should try it sometime.
Sincerely,
The Closet Entrepreneur
» This entry was filed under Advice and tagged with: constructive, feedback
8 Comments
Josh
Yeah, I’m in complete agreement with you on this. While I wouldn’t go blabbing my bestest business ideas to everyone and their brother, a lot of people definitely act overprotective of their ideas.
For some strange reason, our society romanticized the notion of an entrepreneur and his idea. “One man had an idea that no one else had…” and similar such melodrama. The reality of course is that we all have lots of strange ideas but, as you pointed out, they’re worthless unless acted upon.
Cool post.
Jun 6th, 2006
TOMAS
Thanks Josh. Admittedly, some of the best ideas for my biz have come from the people I’ve talked to – either they provided the idea or the idea was a result of subsequent chatting & brainstorming.
Jun 6th, 2006
Andrew
Really cool thoughts, Tomas. I totally agree with being more open to outside input — especially, of course, to people who could really benefit your ideas.
I’ve shared most of mine, and I haven’t regretted a thing. Sure, you have a small chance of someone taking some idea of yorus, but an overwhelming percentage could only benefit you. Like playing poker — over time — you’ll end up winning (that is, the stats are much in your favor to share ’em).
May 3rd, 2007
TOMAS
Thanks for the comment Andrew, and thanks for sharing all those great ideas on your blog!
May 4th, 2007
spongeblog
Posting on blogs is one great way of sharing. One leading chain-store owner said that they have achieved their success by listening with other people’s ideas no matter how trivial it may seem. Thanks Tomas.
Dec 14th, 2007
TOMAS
@spongeblog – Blogs have definitely become a powerful tool for collecting user feedback and helping create a community around a business and its products. If you ever get the chance, check out the Woot.com blog – the contests they hold garner some great responses and ideas from their ever growing fan base.
Dec 17th, 2007
milan
I agree @Tomas and @Andrew; it’s always a risk to share your ideas but if the outcome is a good brainstorm that combines the best of ideas and generates an even stronger idea, that is a risk I’d want to take to make it work. Afterall, two heads are better than one, right?
check out http://www.collabfinder.com for collaborating opportunities.
Jan 13th, 2009
Rick
Aloneandunafraid.com started out like you are talking about. We talked to everyone who would listen. We actually got a grass roots following and some pros who started the company for us, using our idea. I always shout out to everyone before we do anything new with the business and so far it has worked pretty well. People will tell you what they think and when you get it right and they see that some of the stuff you’ve done is what they were suggesting, you have a costumer for life. Doesn’t matter what business you’re in.
Nov 4th, 2009
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