Is it ethical to steal an idea??

[juan917]

Generally I've been 100% using other people's ideas but want to have a conversation about it. Didn't every market start out with an idea? For the big money ideas, say private education, there are thousands upon thousands of competitors in that market. Firmly entrenched too.

Now, let's compare that to a market that has never been tested before with 0 competitors. In this case isn't even 5, or 10 competitors a such small negligible amount that they wouldn't even affect each other?

 

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[Mikkel]

Generally I've been 100% using other people's ideas but want to have a conversation about it. Didn't every market start out with an idea? For the big money ideas, say private education, there are thousands upon thousands of competitors in that market. Firmly entrenched too.

Of course it did... without an idea you can't take action to create something.

If someone give you an idea, yet they bring no value to the table, besides the idea itself... well then there is no need for the person.

Now, let's compare that to a market that has never been tested before with 0 competitors. In this case isn't even 5, or 10 competitors a such small negligible amount that they wouldn't even affect each other?

Not sure what the train of thought on this one is, but that certainly would affect each other. There is one company... Monopoly. They can charge whatever they want, because there is no competition.

One person starts to compete for the same customers, same product. No monopoly. They have to have a reasonable selling point, so price is checked and balanced by the two companies.

 

[juan917]

One person starts to compete for the same customers, same product. No monopoly. They have to have a reasonable selling point, so price is checked and balanced by the two companies.

My mistake, I was thinking of same idea, different markets. But if they are in different markets then they are not competitors.

 

[3feetfromgold]

An idea isn't worth anything without execution. There are so many people in this world that the chances that your idea is "unique" is next to none. This means that even if 2, 5, 10, 1000, 10,000 people have the same "idea", it will be different because people will choose to execute the idea differently based on their experiences and knowledge.

Social connection: Myspace, + hundreds of other small sites existed, but then Facebook came along and took the same idea and executed differently
Circus: Ring brothers and smaller circuses existed, but then Cirque du Soleil came along and took the same idea and executed it better
Blogs: So many bloggers in the health niche who have the same idea of creating content. Why do some excel while others do not? Because they execute differently.

 

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[458]

idk, is it ethical to breathe air?

 

[Ricoboxing]

An idea isn't worth anything without execution. There are so many people in this world that the chances that your idea is "unique" is next to none. This means that even if 2, 5, 10, 1000, 10,000 people have the same "idea", it will be different because people will choose to execute the idea differently based on their experiences and knowledge.

Social connection: Myspace, + hundreds of other small sites existed, but then Facebook came along and took the same idea and executed differently
Circus: Ring brothers and smaller circuses existed, but then Cirque du Soleil came along and took the same idea and executed it better
Blogs: So many bloggers in the health niche who have the same idea of creating content. Why do some excel while others do not? Because they execute differently.

THIS ^

ideas are a dime a dozen, execution is everything

 

[UncleIroh]

What's not ethical is stealing, copying the whole concept. Seeking for the easy way. Like what happened with jasonr

 

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[PureA]

Are you taking an idea and making it yours, improving, innovating and adding a new spin. Or, are you looking to have a replica, copy cat of a business because it "makes 10k a month"

The former go ahead, the latter, you're f*cked. Beyond being 'unethical', ...it just won't work. You are never gonna be number 1 by following. Furthermore, if you even think that you are on the right track by trying to emulate someones business like for like, well... yeah you got a long way to go.

 

[ZF Lee]

Let's put it this way.

Keeping an idea to yourself that could be saving lives or helping people is as good as keeping the truth to yourself when you are a witness to a crime.

 

[Ubermensch]

Generally I've been 100% using other people's ideas but want to have a conversation about it. Didn't every market start out with an idea? For the big money ideas, say private education, there are thousands upon thousands of competitors in that market. Firmly entrenched too.

Now, let's compare that to a market that has never been tested before with 0 competitors. In this case isn't even 5, or 10 competitors a such small negligible amount that they wouldn't even affect each other?

Everything depends on context.

A guy on the top of his game can tell you about his game, and even teach you a few moves, and still be mostly unconcerned with your existence, because he's on the top of his game.

So, if you happen to come across his ideas in passing, because he shares them openly, that's not "stealing an idea."

Entering into verbal and/or written agreements, all of which reference mutual "non-circumvent," "non-compete," and "non-disclosure," and THEN "stealing" ideas is a great way to end up in a war with the wrong person, and a whole host of legal problems that may not be readily apparent in the beginning.

 

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[juan917]

Are you taking an idea and making it yours, improving, innovating and adding a new spin. Or, are you looking to have a replica, copy cat of a business because it "makes 10k a month"

The former go ahead, the latter, you're f*cked. Beyond being 'unethical', ...it just won't work. You are never gonna be number 1 by following. Furthermore, if you even think that you are on the right track by trying to emulate someones business like for like, well... yeah you got a long way to go.

In my case some "friends" approached me about an idea. I said yea lets do it. We were unable to setup a meeting and after a month I said no thanks I can't work with people who can't communicate well. One of them called me back and said lets revisit it, we will have better communication this time etc., I said I'm in. Day after I tried calling them and now 2 days later still haven't heard from them. These "friends" of a history of not following through on what they said to me over and over again. The idea is kinda good tho

 

[Ubermensch]

In my case some "friends" approached me about an idea. I said yea lets do it. We were unable to setup a meeting and after a month I said no thanks I can't work with people who can't communicate well. One of them called me back and said lets revisit it, we will have better communication this time etc., I said I'm in. Day after I tried calling them and now 2 days later still haven't heard from them. These "friends" of a history of not following through on what they said to me over and over again. The idea is kinda good tho

Trust no one.