That's a good idea, I really like it. One thing to think about though (which I'm sure you're already very aware of) is that lack of money a startup might have,

That's a good idea, I really like it. One thing to think about though (which I'm sure you're already very aware of) is that lack of money a startup might have, and the prohibitively expensive process of filing for a patent. This is a question a lot of startups have to make. Should I protect my product for what could cost over $10k, or should I use that $10k to put into marketing, or focus being the first to market with my product, or any other of the 100 things a startup company may want to do. Obviously you wouldn't _just_ do patents. It's just something I've seen people think about and just say "nah, not worth it for the money", especially when you couple that with the risk of finding your idea is totally no novel or inventive after spending $2k just on your first search.