A "Nothing" Business Idea

thegrinch

Hi guys, just said I'd throw something out here and see what I get back.

I have an idea, well its more of a design on how something can be packaged and sold to mass market that I feel would be hugely popular.

I have to be vague, as we all are with our budding entrepreneurial thoughts, but it involves musical instruments and making them more accessible to everyone.

Here's the thing, my idea is worth nothing to me. Not a penny. To the right people however I feel it is worth an awful lot. Let me explain further by saying, the development/production/marketing of this product is beyond myself or anyone other than the giant brand names and manufacturers already in the game. If they packaged and designed their own product with this idea it could be a winner. I can't patent the idea, because there is nothing new here, I am just coming up with a way of refreshing what is already out there.

Ideally I would go to the top manufacturers (if they'd listen to me), and let them produce my idea (if they liked it), under my patent and pay me accordingly, but I suppose that would be just too easy! By showing them the idea, there would be nothing stopping them taking it(again if it really is any good) and cutting me out! But hey, business is business I guess.

Anyway I suppose I am just frustrated that I have an idea, worth nothing to me but potentially millions to the right people. I am sure there are similar stories amongst others on these boards, so any useful thoughts advice would be great!

Graham

Ideas generally have no value unless you can execute them, patent them, or execute and patent them.

StupidLikeAFox

My advice is that it is unlikely that there are teams of people lurking on boards waiting for a newbie to come in and randomly drop a multi-million euro idea in their lap. So I wouldn't worry about discussing the idea.

If you can't patent it and don't have the skills, knowledge, drive or money to get it up and rnning yourself I don't see what you have to lose

28064212

Your Ideas Have No Value

There's a couple of hundred more articles out there, all with the same point. The idea of "a social media network" has zero value. Facebook is worth tens of billions due to their execution

JustShon

thegrinch wrote: »

I can't patent the idea, because there is nothing new here, I am just coming up with a way of refreshing what is already out there.

Ideally I would go to the top manufacturers (if they'd listen to me), and let them produce my idea (if they liked it), under my patent

Can you patent the idea or not? I'm confused.

Cianos

At the risk of sounding like a total naysayer, chances are that your revolutionary idea has already been thought of and dismissed because of a detail that would require industry experience to be aware of.

For example, I could come up with an idea that I truly believe will massively help farmers. So I (knowing nothing about farming) could expend great time and energy to bring this idea to life, only to do so and realise that it's a complete flop because of some detail that any farmer could have pointed out to me had I told them the idea in the first place, thus saving me from wasting all that time and energy had I not been afraid of someone stealing my idea.

This is why I strongly believe in sharing ideas rather than protecting them. It's very easy to convince yourself that your idea is genius, but most of the time you'll learn something that destroys its viability, and it's in your interests to find that out sooner rather than later.

thegrinch

Absolutely agree Cianos, and no I don't think this is patentable. A prototype could be made with a bit of time and money, that might be my next port of call. See where that takes me, as at the moment it's worthless so as said above, there's nothing I can lose!

DubTony

Yeah, come on. Spit it out there, so we can thrash it for you. Then you can move on to the next idea, which may or may not be useless. Either way, you're doing nothing with it, and you can clear your mind.