Has someone tried to steal your innovative ideas?
If you are an entrepreneur, one of the most annoying and tiresome things can be: trying to keep others from stealing your innovative ideas. When you have to be continuously on your guard and keep things to yourself to avoid someone just sailing off with them, you may feel lonesome.
Creating something new requires ingenuity, creativity and the discretion on how to handle what was created, and if people don’t understand you, don’t worry, they may just not be cut in the same cloth. In fact, some entrepreneurs exchange ideas relentlessly and don’t bother as much about discretion. Their ideas actually develop further and evolve when discussing with others and seemingly they are immune to the fear that their ideas may be stolen. Other entrepreneurs are so confident in themselves that they believe that no one else can steal their ideas and develop their full potentials.
But if you are one of those who worry, first think whether your innovative ideas can really be stolen. What can you do about it? You should start by sharing your ideas with only those you fully trust and protect them with non-disclosure, confidentiality agreements and the like. However, it may still not be enough to stop ill-intentioned persons. Having your ideas stolen always remains a glooming possibility.
However, if it does happen to you, being philosophical is the best way to face it and you should remind yourself of this:
- it means your idea is worth something, otherwise no one would even try stealing it in the first place;
- the person who stole it did not develop the concept and would therefore not know the rationale. He/she would be unable to explain it in detail. Sooner or later, that person will be confounded; especially when someone realises that this person does not know what he/she is talking about;
- no one will be able to implement the idea as well as you would;
- on the bright side, you will be getting some free publicity;
- if you have protected your innovative ideas well, the more the person uses them, the more damages and interest they will have to eventually pay.
So just sit back and relax, “what goes around, will come around”, and it is only a matter of time; because what truly belongs to you cannot be stolen.
However, in the meantime, work on your self-confidence. People will steal ideas from you if they somehow sense or think you are weaker than them or perhaps believe that they are in a better position. Therefore, you may need to work on that crocodile skin of yours to be able to fight the sharks. In the end, if this proves to be beneficial for your own personal development, you may actually want to thank them for helping you to increase your alertness and awareness. Also remember that this may have nothing to do with you personally. It could be someone who lives off other people’s ideas and thinks they will forever get away with it.
Well, while you are waiting for the tide to turn, you have other fish to fry; pursue your work, fine-tune your innovative ideas; do not get discouraged and do not give-up. A real entrepreneur never does. The truth of the matter is: if someone tries to steal from you, they won’t get away with it. You can bet that if they have done it to you, they have done it to others and if they have done it before, they will do it again. Be patient. You can trust that these people will bring on their own downfall. That is the nature of justice.
