When you first start nurturing your app idea, it’s tempting to be secretive about it.
Whether you want to get it to a more refined stage before showing it to others, feel its value lies in its uniqueness, or are just waiting for the perfect moment to enter the industry, there’s plenty of reasons to keep your idea behind locked doors. After all, the stereotype of the lone genius creating value while hiding themselves away is persistent in every budding entrepreneur’s mind.
But the fact of the matter is that there is more value to be found in collaboration and improvement. Today’s innovation in the startup scene is based less on never-thought-of inventions and more on improving existing industries, whether through better service, better technology or more efficient distribution channels. That is why it is a better move for your future business to just start talking about it with everyone and anyone who could be interested.
Why it’s good for you to share your idea
Sharing your idea allows you to:
- Get feedback. Talk about your idea with industry insiders, people who have an overlap with your business, future users. Basically, anyone with an interest who isn’t a direct competitor. They will give you the feedback you need to build a clear image of the industry you’re approaching, as well as what features will make or break your app.
- Promote yourself and your business idea. As you share your idea, your passion will become infectious and spread on to other people as well. You will become the go-to person for your little slice of the industry. And remember that people who are excited about your idea are most likely to be your first users and the ones who will most likely spread word of mouth.
- Practice pitching your idea. Nothing makes you better at selling your idea like talking about it, again and again. By the time you get to pitch in front of the investors you will have mastered your pitch and lost all the nervousness.
- Ask for help. If you talk passionately about your idea and specifically about what you need, you never know from which corner you might get help. Every person you manage to get enthusiastic about your concept can reach out to their social circle and introduce you to key contacts who might help with advancing your project.
“Don’t hesitate to get your idea into the world because you might have the next biggest idea that can change your world and everyone else’s. There’re a lot of problems in the world that need to be solved, so get your idea out into the world, and although it’s scary, it’ll be the most rewarding thing you have ever done.” — Andrew Ryder
So take the leap!
Yes, there are moments when you shouldn’t share your idea. Don’t share your idea if you know, after a lot of research, that it’s unique in the world. Don’t share it if the expected impact and revenue are huge. But these cases are so rare nowadays, the chances they apply to you are minuscule. And that’s not a bad thing.
Think of sharing your idea as a calculated risk you should take to ensure your success as an entrepreneur, and take the leap. It opens you up to resources, contacts and feedback. It helps you identify and manage risks to mitigate your chances of failure.
Most importantly, keep in mind that ideas have no value without execution. It is through execution that you offer value to your users and stand out in overcrowded app stores. The feedback you get by sharing your idea will only help you add to your value.
So don’t hide your idea in a box, start talking about it!
