I also think the right conclusion to take from this is that the validation you've seen in just this one side project of yours should encourage you to be more op

I also think the right conclusion to take from this is that the validation you've seen in just this one side project of yours should encourage you to be more open and sharing of those ideas. Now you at least know what the next steps are from there, and how aggressively you should pursue those steps. Ive been ripped off in the past. While it doesn't feel great, it should fuel the irrational confidence part of you.