Are you gonna steal my idea?

ferriswannabe · 06-24-2009, 06:59 PM

Newbie here, I would like to ask the warriors that have been at it for a while, when you needed help with an idea weren't you afraid to ask and have it stolen. I see most people do avoid telling their particular niche and just ask about general questions in relation to affiliate marketing, but if i want to pay someone for keyword research and they see that its a good one, well they have the experience and skills to beat me to punch. Also for example if I want to try an original website design to sell products in a new way and a want to hire a warrior in website design to make it, whats to keep them from running away with the whole concept? Its seems most warriors learn to become well-rounded from research,design, and implemention. Economically thats smart, but are you afraid to outsouce this? The some warriors preach outsource,outsource,outsource. So how to keep your ideas and still outsource with confidence that someone won't just start using your newly discovered niche? Does anyone use non-competion agreements in internet marketing? Could you really enforce such a thing in this global arena?

winebuddy · 06-24-2009, 07:18 PM

2 things - - - -

ALL niches are discovered already

Here's one of MY niches - How to Make Wine

There! I spilled the beans and let the cat out of the bag!

Seriously, if you hire people to do work for you, you OWN whatever content they create. If you are afraid of competition - then business isn't for you.

Business is a dog eat dog world and there are ALWAYS people trying to do you one better - that's just how it works.

policy · 06-24-2009, 07:28 PM

Well, I see it as if you have a niche and you are planning on getting it to the top position, investing a lot of time... I wouldn't want to copy your same niche and battle for the top position.

Why? It is a waste of time, waste of money.

Obviously you would not "give in" very easily, so I would never waste my time copying someones niche if they are into internet marketing.

CDawson · 06-24-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winebuddy

2 things - - - -

ALL niches are discovered already

Here's one of MY niches - How to Make Wine

There! I spilled the beans and let the cat out of the bag!

Seriously, if you hire people to do work for you, you OWN whatever content they create. If you are afraid of competition - then business isn't for you.

Business is a dog eat dog world and there are ALWAYS people trying to do you one better - that's just how it works.

I don't think all niches have actually been discovered, if you think about it, new niches formed all the time. I remember when gas prices scored and people started making products on how to save gas, this is just one examples of new niches that open all the time, it is a matter of being creative.

Don Schenk · 06-24-2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winebuddy

Seriously, if you hire people to do work for you, you OWN whatever content they create. If you are afraid of competition - then business isn't for you.

I believe that is true (in the USA) only if they are an employee which means you are supplying any equipment they use to work on the job and you are taking out the taxes to send to the government.

Again, I am not an attorney, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one time in December 2000. (For folks outside the USA - this is a joke having to do with a television commercial run by Holiday Inn Express.)

I owned a photography studio for a lot of years and there were some potential problems with a question of who owned the copyrights when an additional photographer on the job would be hired as an independent contractor versus an additional photographer on the job being an employee. Mine were always employees using the IRS definition.

:-Don

shorwood · 06-24-2009, 08:24 PM

First of all, most marketers if they are doing contract work it is because they like that work, and they do not want to actually go implement the ideas from it. They would prefer to research the niche and go let someone else run with it.

Second, most marketers have projects they are working on, and they don't have time to run away with your idea, even if it is a good one. They have stuff that they are doing, and they have probably seen many good ideas. But they really don't have the time to tackle every single good idea someone shows them. There are just too many of them.

Third, once your product is released, anyone can copy it and market it and create heavy competition anyways. So not taking action and getting someone to help you because you are afraid they will compete with you means you have the wrong mindset. If you find some undiscovered niche, then soon after you enter it people will see that you are making money from it, word will get out, and you will have some heavy competition. Hiding your ideas will only delay it by a little while (and keep you from making money while you try to get everything done on your own).

Fourth, you don't have to outsource to warriors. You can outsource to the Philippines, to India, Australia, etc. where they don't usually want to take your ideas, they just want to do the work and get paid.

Fifth, if people see that you are working on something and then someone that is helping you steals the idea and runs with it, they will never work with that person again, so it is unlikely that people are going to steal your ideas, because that will lose them thousands, maybe even millions of dollars in the future. It just isn't worth the risk. If they love your idea, they may ask to work with you, and you can get an experienced marketer to help you out and make your idea even better! So you could actually gain partners by outsourcing to warriors if you have a really good idea.

Sixth, you should use paragraphs when typing forum posts because it is hard on the eyes to read your post, so you will actually get a better response if you make your post more readable and use paragraphs. (That has nothing to do with stealing your ideas, but it was difficult for me to read through the whole post because the words become a mess in my mind when I see a big blob of text like that.)

Hopefully that helps clear some things up for you.

Shawn

Istvan Horvath · 06-24-2009, 08:34 PM

Re: outsourcing

If you go to a decent place like Elance, they have very good non-disclosure agreements that you can use; their standard service agreement also states clearly that the service provider (a.k.a. the ghostwriter, for example) assigns the full copyright to you (the Buyer)... and I am sure other places also have similar terms.

Also, keep in mind that not all the service providers (graphic designers, web designers, coders, writers) want to be in the IM world.

ferriswannabe · 06-24-2009, 08:56 PM

Thank you for your replys, and now to think of it, after lurking for so long on this forum, I know how important credibility is to the warriors. No respected warrior providing services would want to jeopardize that by behaving unethically to a fellow warrior and risk having that behavior brought to the public in front of the forum. I agree with you Shawn, anyone providing services are busy with not only my project, but many others, and that where their income is coming from, not trying to impletment idea that comes across their screen.

Shawn, I keep the paragraph thing in mind for future postings. Thanks for all your input. It is much appreciated.

shorwood · 06-24-2009, 09:00 PM

Glad I could help.

Now take action and get that stuff done! Go make some money and beat out any competition you have. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of great people here on the forum who are ready and willing to help you out.

Shawn

PS. If you need to get certain stuff done that you don't want to do yourself, and you aren't sure who to get to do it, send me a PM and I can give you recommendations of people I have worked with or who I know does a good job for a reasonable price.

Mitch Miller · 06-24-2009, 10:56 PM

I would never disclose a niche or site in a marketers forum that can be easily copied.
Just common sense.

Joe118 · 06-24-2009, 10:58 PM

IMHO agreements (including written ones) are worthless. Either they're going to steal your idea or not, and the decision is likely not influenced by whether they signed. Whatcha gonna do, sue them? Who has time & money for that..

Just my $0.02. Thats why people are cautious when discussing ideas, here and in general on the net. Never know who is listening.

rhelaine · 06-24-2009, 11:03 PM

i wouldn;t say that everything has been done...but quite frankly once out your ideas will most likely be copied or you will find someone that had the same idea as you at the same time.

I have been on both side of the fence...coming up with idea that people had before (that situation came up a few days ago and i am really pissed after spending money on the idea i am not sure i will go through with it)
or having my idea copied.

If you are afraid of competition you will never do anything.

rhelaine · 06-24-2009, 11:06 PM

one last thing...people you will outsource to usually don;t have time to play that kind of game...if you hire a guy to make a product it is highly unlikely that he will say "i will dump everything to try to be an internet marketer because that idea is good....they will very quickly find themselves out of a job.

Jon Alexander · 06-25-2009, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winebuddy

ALL niches are discovered already

funny. Reminds me of the eminent victorian scientist who pronounced "Everything that can be discovered has been discovered. We live in a golden age..."

06-24-2009, 06:59 PM	#1
ferriswannabe HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: South Florida Posts: 166 Thanks: 15 Thanked 18 Times in 12 Posts	Are you gonna steal my idea? Newbie here, I would like to ask the warriors that have been at it for a while, when you needed help with an idea weren't you afraid to ask and have it stolen. I see most people do avoid telling their particular niche and just ask about general questions in relation to affiliate marketing, but if i want to pay someone for keyword research and they see that its a good one, well they have the experience and skills to beat me to punch. Also for example if I want to try an original website design to sell products in a new way and a want to hire a warrior in website design to make it, whats to keep them from running away with the whole concept? Its seems most warriors learn to become well-rounded from research,design, and implemention. Economically thats smart, but are you afraid to outsouce this? The some warriors preach outsource,outsource,outsource. So how to keep your ideas and still outsource with confidence that someone won't just start using your newly discovered niche? Does anyone use non-competion agreements in internet marketing? Could you really enforce such a thing in this global arena?

06-24-2009, 07:18 PM	#2
winebuddy I Make it Rain War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,979 Blog Entries: 10 Thanks: 537 Thanked 569 Times in 296 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? 2 things - - - - ALL niches are discovered already Here's one of MY niches - How to Make Wine There! I spilled the beans and let the cat out of the bag! Seriously, if you hire people to do work for you, you OWN whatever content they create. If you are afraid of competition - then business isn't for you. Business is a dog eat dog world and there are ALWAYS people trying to do you one better - that's just how it works.
	sign up for ~good stuff~ \| $20k in 13 Days? \| HANDS FREE Income \| Page 1 in 15 Minutes? *"Knowledge is NOT power...ACTION on Knowledge is power"*

06-24-2009, 07:28 PM	#3
policy Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: DeLand, Florida Posts: 69 Thanks: 46 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? Well, I see it as if you have a niche and you are planning on getting it to the top position, investing a lot of time... I wouldn't want to copy your same niche and battle for the top position. Why? It is a waste of time, waste of money. Obviously you would not "give in" very easily, so I would never waste my time copying someones niche if they are into internet marketing.

06-24-2009, 08:24 PM	#6
shorwood Shawn Horwood War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Posts: 192 Thanks: 10 Thanked 138 Times in 24 Posts Social Networking	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? First of all, most marketers if they are doing contract work it is because they like that work, and they do not want to actually go implement the ideas from it. They would prefer to research the niche and go let someone else run with it. Second, most marketers have projects they are working on, and they don't have time to run away with your idea, even if it is a good one. They have stuff that they are doing, and they have probably seen many good ideas. But they really don't have the time to tackle every single good idea someone shows them. There are just too many of them. Third, once your product is released, anyone can copy it and market it and create heavy competition anyways. So not taking action and getting someone to help you because you are afraid they will compete with you means you have the wrong mindset. If you find some undiscovered niche, then soon after you enter it people will see that you are making money from it, word will get out, and you will have some heavy competition. Hiding your ideas will only delay it by a little while (and keep you from making money while you try to get everything done on your own). Fourth, you don't have to outsource to warriors. You can outsource to the Philippines, to India, Australia, etc. where they don't usually want to take your ideas, they just want to do the work and get paid. Fifth, if people see that you are working on something and then someone that is helping you steals the idea and runs with it, they will never work with that person again, so it is unlikely that people are going to steal your ideas, because that will lose them thousands, maybe even millions of dollars in the future. It just isn't worth the risk. If they love your idea, they may ask to work with you, and you can get an experienced marketer to help you out and make your idea even better! So you could actually gain partners by outsourcing to warriors if you have a really good idea. Sixth, you should use paragraphs when typing forum posts because it is hard on the eyes to read your post, so you will actually get a better response if you make your post more readable and use paragraphs. (That has nothing to do with stealing your ideas, but it was difficult for me to read through the whole post because the words become a mess in my mind when I see a big blob of text like that.) Hopefully that helps clear some things up for you. Shawn
	Need a sales letter? For the first time ever I'm taking on copywriting clients for a very low price. PM me if interested.

06-24-2009, 08:34 PM	#7
Istvan Horvath Watching you... War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Waterdown, Ontario, Canada Posts: 5,963 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 1,574 Thanked 2,713 Times in 1,651 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? Re: outsourcing If you go to a decent place like Elance, they have very good non-disclosure agreements that you can use; their standard service agreement also states clearly that the service provider (a.k.a. the ghostwriter, for example) assigns the full copyright to you (the Buyer)... and I am sure other places also have similar terms. Also, keep in mind that not all the service providers (graphic designers, web designers, coders, writers) want to be in the IM world.
	In the first half of the year we are supposed to work for the taxman. I think that's a mistake. Help me to get rid of the taxman ASAP - thanks! (You, too, should make less mistakes!) Blog

06-24-2009, 08:56 PM	#8
ferriswannabe HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: South Florida Posts: 166 Thanks: 15 Thanked 18 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? Thank you for your replys, and now to think of it, after lurking for so long on this forum, I know how important credibility is to the warriors. No respected warrior providing services would want to jeopardize that by behaving unethically to a fellow warrior and risk having that behavior brought to the public in front of the forum. I agree with you Shawn, anyone providing services are busy with not only my project, but many others, and that where their income is coming from, not trying to impletment idea that comes across their screen. Shawn, I keep the paragraph thing in mind for future postings. Thanks for all your input. It is much appreciated.

06-24-2009, 09:00 PM	#9
shorwood Shawn Horwood War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Posts: 192 Thanks: 10 Thanked 138 Times in 24 Posts Social Networking	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? Glad I could help. Now take action and get that stuff done! Go make some money and beat out any competition you have. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of great people here on the forum who are ready and willing to help you out. Shawn PS. If you need to get certain stuff done that you don't want to do yourself, and you aren't sure who to get to do it, send me a PM and I can give you recommendations of people I have worked with or who I know does a good job for a reasonable price.
	Need a sales letter? For the first time ever I'm taking on copywriting clients for a very low price. PM me if interested.

06-24-2009, 10:56 PM	#10
Mitch Miller The BS Detector Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 80 Thanks: 3 Thanked 15 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? I would never disclose a niche or site in a marketers forum that can be easily copied. Just common sense.

06-24-2009, 10:58 PM	#11
Joe118 Gold Nuggets Producer War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,309 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 657 Thanked 2,162 Times in 388 Posts Contact Info	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? IMHO agreements (including written ones) are worthless. Either they're going to steal your idea or not, and the decision is likely not influenced by whether they signed. Whatcha gonna do, sue them? Who has time & money for that.. Just my $0.02. Thats why people are cautious when discussing ideas, here and in general on the net. Never know who is listening.

06-24-2009, 11:03 PM	#12
rhelaine Learning...as always... Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: colorado Posts: 143 Thanks: 4 Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts Contact Info	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? i wouldn;t say that everything has been done...but quite frankly once out your ideas will most likely be copied or you will find someone that had the same idea as you at the same time. I have been on both side of the fence...coming up with idea that people had before (that situation came up a few days ago and i am really pissed after spending money on the idea i am not sure i will go through with it) or having my idea copied. If you are afraid of competition you will never do anything.

06-24-2009, 11:06 PM	#13
rhelaine Learning...as always... Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: colorado Posts: 143 Thanks: 4 Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts Contact Info	Re: Are you gonna steal my idea? one last thing...people you will outsource to usually don;t have time to play that kind of game...if you hire a guy to make a product it is highly unlikely that he will say "i will dump everything to try to be an internet marketer because that idea is good....they will very quickly find themselves out of a job.