> you can validate whether a market exists without writing any code This is true, but it's possible that even this act could indicate that the founder has deve

> you can validate whether a market exists without writing any code This is true, but it's possible that even this act could indicate that the founder has developed valuable IP that his employer could claim. It would seem ridiculous to think that even just having an idea could make it assignable to your employer, despite not having actually written any of the code. However, there are some circumstances where it could seem reasonable. For example, if you work in Industry X and come up with an idea related to Industry X and your employer's specific niche in that industry, it seems less unreasonable that your employer would care if you struck out on your own and started a startup in that niche. They would argue that your knowledge of that niche derived from your work as an employee, and they would try to tie your creation to proprietary information that you were privy to as an employee. This isn't to say they would win — but they could cause you quite a headache if you built a successful company. FWIW, IIAL and have seen folks argue over less!