It Doesn’t Matter If Someone Steals Your Idea
It’s not the idea that’s the valuable thing here.
Too many creative people get obsessed with “protecting their ideas” and go off track. Instead of doing things that create real value, they take umbrage at the thought that someone else might be doing the same thing that they do.
Ideas have little value
A few months ago, I learned of some brouhaha among Medium writers who complained that people copied their ideas. These writers had written an article, and then someone else came along and wrote a piece similar to theirs.
Some of these writers were apoplectic. The word “thief” and “charlatan” came up a few times. The writers bristled at the thought of someone taking their precious idea and making it their own.
The whole controversy looked ridiculous for a simple reason.
By themselves, ideas have low value. I know that it feels weird, especially when we all know the rush of getting a great idea and writing it down. Still, ideas have little value (in most cases).
Ideas are like seeds that have yet to be watered or grown into a mature tree. They have potential but have yet to reach that potential.
