4 ms·

I've been following YC for the past several months, though it's entirely possible that I've merely skipped over similar threads. That said, I am aware of the s

by walterk 19y ago

I've been following YC for the past several months, though it's entirely possible that I've merely skipped over similar threads. That said, I am aware of the sort of answer which you've summed up for me. I'd respond by saying that not all ideas are equally cheap (some have only been made possible thanks to years of accumulated wisdom), nor are they all equally likely to have been thought up or worked on by someone else. As a matter of probability, what you say is undoubtedly true, and it's the same response I'd give to most people. Knowing all this, I still believe my situation to be a possible exception. Let me put this another way: if you don't buy that I'm in an exceptional situation, then let's discuss the matter hypothetically. If SOMEONE was in an exceptional situation, what ought they to do?

chaostheory 19y ago
then focus on out executing your competitors and spend less energy on worrying about them. focus on delivering something you can post on yc if the idea was really exceptional, it would probably have a high barrier to entry (a la good algorithm, high startup costs, ...) and you probably wouldn't be as worried, then again I could be wrong
mixmax 19y ago
Well then let me put it in yet another way: Can you point to anyone, anyone at all, that has made a substantial amount of money from an idea? I can't.
- walterk 19y ago
  I remember reading about some guy a while back who's made a fortune by actually selling businesses his ideas...the ones that come to mind are gift ideas sold to Hallmark, and something about increasing label space on bottles of things like aspirin. At any rate, I'm really not looking for entrepreneur macho speak, e.g. "Ideas are NOTHING! Execution is EVERYTHING! This is SPARTA!!!!" I just want practical advice on what to do. Not worrying about it and pushing forward regardless is one option which I'm giving strong consideration to. But I'd also like to know what sort of legal and other options I can pursue, if I ought to be making any preparations, etc. You know, when you start renting a place, it's always a good idea to take photographs of it in case there's a dispute later over the condition of the property. Something along those lines.
  - chaostheory 19y ago
    "some guy a while back who's made a fortune by actually selling businesses his ideas... and something about increasing label space on bottles of things like aspirin" that's a little misleading. yes that guy has tons simple ideas like that - but he did execute and it wasn't easy. He filed tons of provisional patents (cheaper than full blown patents - but not cheap on time or money) and he's on the phone 12 hours a day. Not to mention, he's a master networker. "it's always a good idea to take photographs of it in case there's a dispute later over the condition of the property." Unless you've already filed a patent or made him sign an NDA before hand... I could be wrong but there's really nothing big u can do.
    - walterk 19y ago
      Correct. Although often execution in his case meant setting up proper terms for a deal and/or having a very minimal prototyping phase, as I recall. For folks like us, "execution" means considerably more than that. We actually have to develop the full blown product, whereas that was something he very intentionally shied away from doing.
      - chaostheory 19y ago
        well like i said before if your idea isn't simple to duplicate why worry? if it is simple to duplicate (like say twitter) you should assume that you already have competitors and just focus on out gunning them "having a very minimal prototyping phase" well developing good relationships can take longer than prototyping a product Can you even tell us what the idea is? If not this is just a re-hash of the idea vs execution debate.
  - mixmax 19y ago
    I have heard many of the stories of someone that got rich off an idea, but when I have researched them I have always found that either it was an urban myth, or else it was some guy selling something that he had spent ten years in his basement perfecting. If you have sources I'd love to see them. Oh, and I wasnt trying to ignite the whole idea vs. execution debate, hope it didn't sound too much like it. It's just that I have never verifiably heard about someone making good money off an idea, and so I thought it would be interesting to put forth the challenge.

by walterk 19y ago

chaostheory 19y ago

then focus on out executing your competitors and spend less energy on worrying about them. focus on delivering something you can post on yc if the idea was really exceptional, it would probably have a high barrier to entry (a la good algorithm, high startup costs, ...) and you probably wouldn't be as worried, then again I could be wrong

mixmax 19y ago

Well then let me put it in yet another way: Can you point to anyone, anyone at all, that has made a substantial amount of money from an idea? I can't.

walterk 19y ago
I remember reading about some guy a while back who's made a fortune by actually selling businesses his ideas...the ones that come to mind are gift ideas sold to Hallmark, and something about increasing label space on bottles of things like aspirin. At any rate, I'm really not looking for entrepreneur macho speak, e.g. "Ideas are NOTHING! Execution is EVERYTHING! This is SPARTA!!!!" I just want practical advice on what to do. Not worrying about it and pushing forward regardless is one option which I'm giving strong consideration to. But I'd also like to know what sort of legal and other options I can pursue, if I ought to be making any preparations, etc. You know, when you start renting a place, it's always a good idea to take photographs of it in case there's a dispute later over the condition of the property. Something along those lines.
- chaostheory 19y ago
  "some guy a while back who's made a fortune by actually selling businesses his ideas... and something about increasing label space on bottles of things like aspirin" that's a little misleading. yes that guy has tons simple ideas like that - but he did execute and it wasn't easy. He filed tons of provisional patents (cheaper than full blown patents - but not cheap on time or money) and he's on the phone 12 hours a day. Not to mention, he's a master networker. "it's always a good idea to take photographs of it in case there's a dispute later over the condition of the property." Unless you've already filed a patent or made him sign an NDA before hand... I could be wrong but there's really nothing big u can do.
  - walterk 19y ago
    Correct. Although often execution in his case meant setting up proper terms for a deal and/or having a very minimal prototyping phase, as I recall. For folks like us, "execution" means considerably more than that. We actually have to develop the full blown product, whereas that was something he very intentionally shied away from doing.
    - chaostheory 19y ago
      well like i said before if your idea isn't simple to duplicate why worry? if it is simple to duplicate (like say twitter) you should assume that you already have competitors and just focus on out gunning them "having a very minimal prototyping phase" well developing good relationships can take longer than prototyping a product Can you even tell us what the idea is? If not this is just a re-hash of the idea vs execution debate.
- mixmax 19y ago
  I have heard many of the stories of someone that got rich off an idea, but when I have researched them I have always found that either it was an urban myth, or else it was some guy selling something that he had spent ten years in his basement perfecting. If you have sources I'd love to see them. Oh, and I wasnt trying to ignite the whole idea vs. execution debate, hope it didn't sound too much like it. It's just that I have never verifiably heard about someone making good money off an idea, and so I thought it would be interesting to put forth the challenge.