My key take away from this article is that, for the most part, good ideas are a commodity and great ideas are rarely uniquely arrived at. This is one of the re

My key take away from this article is that, for the most part, good ideas are a commodity and great ideas are rarely uniquely arrived at. This is one of the reasons VCs will never sign NDAs, because if they haven't already seen the same idea you're pitching from someone else, they most likely will soon. Just about every source I've read says that success is rarely the idea and most often the people behind it. Ideas are a commodity. It's a lot like playing billiards. Given the same set of circumstances on a table and a number of players pondering the same problem,"where should I hit the cue ball?", it is very likely that two players come to derive the same idea. Whether or not the player can make the shot, that's a matter of talent, practice, and a little bit of luck. Until you've reached a certain level it's your ability to make the shots you dream up, not your ability to dream up shots, that will determine whether you win or lose.