Why you should not be afraid of discussing your startup idea?

January 5, 2017

When it comes to building your own company, it’s impossible for any aspirant to chalk out an absolutely foolproof strategy for building his/her own company. You will be creating something which doesn’t exist. While building your venture from scratch, you will need reviews to figure out whether your idea is plausible or not. The feedback provided by your friends, parents or potential investors will help you to identify the flaws in your plans. Hence, sharing your startup idea will only prove to be beneficial for you. By waiting too long, you will probably put in a lot of effort in vain by creating something which has a lot of loopholes. Sharing your startup idea will help you convert your unique idea into a venture which is proficient for your target customers.

As the quote goes, “It’s easier said than done”. The first thought that pops into our mind whenever we share our secrets with someone else is, ‘whether he/she will be able to keep it as a secret or not’. Thoughts similar to this are bound to occur while discussing your startup idea. This tiny seed of anxiety starts growing and will make you think as if every business organisation is longing to plagiarize your ideas. Remember the chances of someone stealing your idea is quite slim. Although, some companies actually do exist, who might try to steal your idea. But by doing so, they will invite a potential threat of a lawsuit, along with a bad reputation to their company.

Always remember no one can compete with the passion you behold for your idea. Even if someone tries to steal your idea they will never be able to work with the enthusiasm you will. Also, sharing your plans with an investor might help you to further refine your startup idea. They will help you in rectifying your misguided actions. Rest assured, the rise of your venture will not be far away!

No need to panic about social media.

Last year, a friend of mine came up with a unique startup idea. He got so excited that he posted it on Facebook. In the days that followed, signs of anxiety were clear on his face. He was always wondering, ‘What if someone steals my idea?’. As I’ve already mentioned, the possibilities of people stealing your idea is quite slim. Furthermore, the possibility of someone stealing your idea from social media is even lesser. This is because, it is really hard to find a person, who would let go of all their tasks and use all of their time to copy your startup idea. Instead, there is a possibility that you would find a person who would like to partner with you.

If a truly passionate person likes your idea he/she would like to partner with you instead of copying your idea. This is because people are always looking for passionate partners. And as I’ve already mentioned, NO ONE can be more passionate about your idea than you are. Furthermore, try to use social media to get more reviews on your idea. Whatever problems you face while building your venture, try to get some insights on those problems. General public is ultimately your target consumer, so who would be a better critic than your target customers itself.

What if my friend steals my plan and makes something even better?

It might so happen that you have a great startup idea and you decide to share it with your friends. But unfortunately, some of your friends have better entrepreneurship skills and networks than you do. So, it’s quite natural to get stressed because of the fact, that they might steal your plans and designs and make it better. Even worse, finish it before you do. However, what you have to remember is that building your venture isn’t a day’s task. It takes years of dedication. You are bound to take a few wrong turns in your journey of building your venture. Some of these turns would leave you devastated. And, if it’s not your original idea, then you will not find the motivation to continue with your venture.

Remember, skills and speed will not last long without dedication and passion. The key to any successful startup is motivation, passion and dedication. Stick to your goals, have patience and completely dedicate yourself to your venture. Soon you will find yourself in a position your friends can never achieve by mere skills. Also, your startup idea is a mere start. As you build your idea you keep improving and refining it. Gradually as your venture grows your initial startup idea grows with it. You will keep adding more features to make your idea more competent for your target customers. This is something which no one can steal from you. Thus, even if your friend steals your idea, he/she can’t build it in the way you are building it.

Don’t panic if your friends try to dissuade you

A lot of your friends will try to dissuade you by telling you that this plan of yours will be an absolute collapse. They will try to shatter your self confidence and fortitude by telling you tales of failures and fruitless efforts. In dark times like these, try to recall about other successful startup ideas like Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber, etc. Instead of getting depressed, focus on constructive aspects like gathering capital, hiring workers etc. Also, some of your friends will persuade you to carry on with your idea and even help you to make it better. Spend more time with those friends and continue with the enthusiasm with which you started.

Make a step-by-step plan

If you have a friend of yours, who might be a potential competitor, it’s better to turn him/her into a co-worker. Company growth will be surely accelerated, by gathering of like-minded people. When you have a goal of achieving something, you need to have financial back up as well. Thus, it is required to get in touch with investors and recruit a responsible person as financial manager of your company. Making a thorough plan like this will definitely increase the probability of success of your startup idea.

In short, sharing your startup ideas will make you realize the faults in your plans and how to rectify them. You will gain reviews which will tell you if the idea is really conceivable and if its actually needed or not. It will help you find a co-worker, your team, investors and if they like your idea then even mentors. If you pitch your idea in any event you might gain some traction or even incubation. Thus, sharing your idea will be nothing but beneficial for you.

Even if someone tries to copy your idea, it is not possible to go further without self-imagination, dedication and passion. Stealing an idea has never been a way to success. If you have your own startup idea, dedication and persistence, then one day or another, success is bound to come to you. And that day, all the fears of failure and your idea being stolen, will just disappear and never come back.

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