Let's be more clear on two points: (1) The Idea. So, sure, mail subscription candy to Japan is an idea, a business idea, that is, a short description like mig

Let's be more clear on two points: (1) The Idea. So, sure, mail subscription candy to Japan is an idea, a business idea, that is, a short description like might be given to a prospective customer, supplier, banker, investor, prospective employee, etc. Such a business idea can be really important. (2) Secret Sauce. In addition to a business idea, sometimes there is secret sauce that enables the execution of the business idea and, maybe, is intellectual property, e.g., to be protected as a trade secret, and that maybe can provide a barrier to entry. Such secret sauce might be technical -- from biology, physics, math, engineering, technology, etc. Generally once a business has customers, the business idea (1), at least in broad terms, becomes quite well known. Then it can be good to have some barriers to entry. Some of those might be the secret sauce (2). Some more might be VC Fred Wilson's "large network of engaged users", a "network effect", a brand name, etc. To many people what is crucial about (2) secret sauce are ideas -- since they may be important to a business, business ideas. But commonly very much we want to protect the secret sauce ideas and not let them be stolen. So, some business ideas we very much do not want to let others steal them.