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I presented an idea at Startup Weekend that got a mediocre response so I shelved it, and a year later I met someone at another startup event who asked me to try

I presented an idea at Startup Weekend that got a mediocre response so I shelved it, and a year later I met someone at another startup event who asked me to try their app (which looked suspiciously like what I'd pitched) and it turned out their co-founder had gone to that Startup Weekend event. I would have been sore if their app had been successful, but it wasn't, so I'm glad I didn't waste my time on it =) So yes, people will steal your idea if they think it's a good one, but that doesn't actually mean it was good.

volaski 11y ago
That story only means that guy's execution failed. And that you didn't try and now rationalizing that your idea was bad just because someone else failed with that idea.
robocat 11y ago
Am I right that you gave your idea away, it wasn't stolen? The startup weekend I went to said very strongly that you shouldn't share an idea that you were not willing to have used by others (no IP, no NDA, no comeback).
kaitai 11y ago
And sometimes ideas start organically at the same time: I pitched an idea at Startup Weekend and we got a prototype going that we didn't pursue, and then a few months later a group in Scotland started a business around the same idea -- crazy! I think given the distance that they did not hear about my Midwestern American Startup Weekend project. I don't know how successful they are, but I will just take it as a sign that I had a good idea :)