Here’s my problem.
I have a fantastic idea every now and again. Not a “good” idea. Not just “great” even. AMAZING. High Caliber. Uber-wicked. Super.
When I have an idea like this, my brain explodes with all the details, and pieces taking form all at once. The wonderment of it all excites me as I revel in the newness, creativity and anticipation of all the accolades I’ll receive upon completion of the idea.
However, many times, I never work on it.
*sigh*
Recently, while chatting w/LeSombre I had another one of these ideas. Well, it was a decent idea; not necessarily awesome, but also not shabby. And given an appropriate amount of effort, it could resemble awesome. If executed properly, and if the vision in my head was actualized, it would be really darned cool. But I’m starting to self-realize the “dreamer” aspect of my life and that, when I get an idea like this, I really should either drop it, or actually write it down and come back to it and pay some attention to it.
In this case (chatting with LeSombre), I formed the idea while chatting, and then even lamented out loud to him that I’d probably never work on it, and then he sorta offered to help, and that kinda sounds cool, and then I start thinking “at what point should you share out cool ideas for the sake of getting it out there vs keeping it and trying to be first and innovative.”
On the one hand, it’d be cool if there was an idea registration site, so if you had a nifty idea, you could login, describe it and kind of get social credit. Others could view, add to it, “digg” it up, refine it, volunteer, maybe monetize it, etc. I’d hate to lose the royalty-aspect of a really killer idea, but I have to believe the benefit to humankind would outweigh any minor squabbles. Plus, if someone did monetize the idea and it was first documented on the idea site, coding ninjas would come out and levy swift justice.
Great. I just did it again.
Here’s the solution… trademark your ideas without actually using them or having any plan to work on them. Then, when somebody actually finds a way to make the idea work, you swoop in with a patent infringement lawsuit and collect! It’s the American Way!
http://www.blogography.com/archives/2005/06/legal_2.html
http://www.blogography.com/archives/2004/04/patent_this.html
.-= Dave2´s last blog ..Bullet Sunday 137 =-.
I’d like to apply for a ninja job!
.-= Sybil Law´s last blog ..Love Is Forever. =-.
You’re all smart with the Internets. Let some of the others go and work on the idea registry thing. It’s a good idea. You could probably figure out how to monetize it.
Ninjas get paid to do that thing they do? Who knew.
.-= martymankins´s last blog ..Random Leakage #11 =-.
I do that, too. I’ve got five different projects in the pipeline and only one of them is close to completion. I’ve also invented something and need to make more prototypes and have it patented, but I just get stuck.
.-= Avitable´s last blog ..My interview with Ed McMahon =-.
Don’t worry – LeSombre is not an idea stealer
He is, however, a bad boy mothertrucker when it comes to getting things done so if you want someone else to do all the work but you get the credit for it, let him have at it. For realz.
.-= Sheila (Charm School Reject)´s last blog .. =-.
all my ideas are relatively pointless and no, i did not think up twitter.
.-= Robin´s last blog ..Totally Different =-.
My favorite idea is potato chip bags with zipper seals on them. Of course, then Frito-Lay would sell fewer chips since they wouldn’t get stale after one day.
.-= Nobody´s last blog ..STOP =-.