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Outsourcers Confidentiality about Business Ideas

by Rick Britton
15 replies
Hello, can you help _ I want to know if I reveal my ideas to a web site builder/designer, can they steal them from me?

How does business confidentiality work when you hire an outsourcer? In particular, I have a cracking idea for a website and would like to commission someone to build it. No problem there.

The issues I have are:-

1. The website would have to do various things in order for the business model to work and I do not know whether it would be possible

2. Therefore, I will have to reveal what I want to happen to the designer hence revealing a clever business idea without knowing if it is possible to build it

Am I right to be cautious before revealing my ideas? What can I do?

I had that "eureka moment" where I thought to myself 'if I can do this, then there is $$$$$' to be made. Trouble is I don't know either way and will have to ask someone - hence revealing my plan.

Are confidentiality, non -disclosure and non-competitive agreements worth the paper they are written on?
#business #confidentiality #ideas #outsourcers
  • Profile picture of the author hashbury
    Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

    Hello, can you help _ I want to know if I reveal my ideas to a web site builder/designer, can they steal them from me?

    How does business confidentiality work when you hire an outsourcer? In particular, I have a cracking idea for a website and would like to commission someone to build it. No problem there.

    The issues I have are:-

    1. The website would have to do various things in order for the business model to work and I do not know whether it would be possible

    2. Therefore, I will have to reveal what I want to happen to the designer hence revealing a clever business idea without knowing if it is possible to build it

    Am I right to be cautious before revealing my ideas? What can I do?
    You have every right to be cautious, because people will steal a good idea.

    Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

    I had that "eureka moment" where I thought to myself 'if I can do this, then there is $$$$$' to be made. Trouble is I don't know either way and will have to ask someone - hence revealing my plan.

    Are confidentiality, non -disclosure and non-competitive agreements worth the paper they are written on?
    You will have to check the legal status on any non disclosure stuff, If your outsources are in other countries your non disclosure may not apply to them. Your non disclosures are also only going to be as good aa the amount of money you have to back it up.

    I outsource a lot, and one thing I have noticed is a lot of times the person im dealing with is probably not capable of pulling off the ideas I am outsourcing.
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  • Profile picture of the author PeteTheMonetizer
    GREAT question.

    I am literally in the same exact boat as you man.

    I need a website coded and the nature of the site is an ingenious marketing plan that could potentially make a boat load of money but that's what makes me afraid when outsourcing the coding.

    If anyone can embellish on their experiences it would be wonderful.

    Thanks for posting this man.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
    I am now looking for a JV partner with in house design capability.

    I am not risking going to a web firm only to be told it not possible then find it on the market a few weeks later
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    • Profile picture of the author The Offline Oracle
      Drop me a PM if you like. I usually work with NDA's (non-disclosure agreements) through my day job and when I ran my own company. They frighten me enough to take seriously.

      I'm a web developer by trade and have enough of my own great ideas to melt my head without trying to rob another one!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sillysoft
    One word, Facebook.
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  • Profile picture of the author angela99
    Rick, people can and do grab your ideas. That said, the chance that the person you hire to build your site will be the one sleaze in 1000 that does so are pretty slim.

    Website developers, designers and writers aren't often entrepreneurs. Their focus is on their skill, and on completing projects so that they get paid.

    They don't care about your idea, hard as it is to believe that. You're too close to your idea, and you see it through rose-colored glasses. If you're an ideas person, you see things that others don't, and can't -- you see possibilities. They see a gig.

    Of course you need an NDA. Who knows who you'll need to sue? :-)

    That said, ideas are everywhere.

    Anyone can have a good idea, and there's no copyright on ideas.

    As far as Intellectual Property (IP) is concerned, the copyright is on the IMPLEMENTATION, not the idea.

    Put your attention where it belongs. On implementing your idea. On your customers. On marketing your site/ product when you're done.

    You've got too much to worry about to concern yourself with hypotheticals.

    As I used to say when my kids asked me hypothetical questions: "Don't worry about it. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow." ;-)

    Cheers

    Angela
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    • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
      Originally Posted by angela99 View Post

      Rick, people can and do grab your ideas. That said, the chance that the person you hire to build your site will be the one sleaze in 1000 that does so are pretty slim.

      Website developers, designers and writers aren't often entrepreneurs. Their focus is on their skill, and on completing projects so that they get paid.

      They don't care about your idea, hard as it is to believe that. You're too close to your idea, and you see it through rose-colored glasses. If you're an ideas person, you see things that others don't, and can't -- you see possibilities. They see a gig.

      Of course you need an NDA. Who knows who you'll need to sue? :-)

      That said, ideas are everywhere.

      Anyone can have a good idea, and there's no copyright on ideas.

      As far as Intellectual Property (IP) is concerned, the copyright is on the IMPLEMENTATION, not the idea.

      Put your attention where it belongs. On implementing your idea. On your customers. On marketing your site/ product when you're done.

      You've got too much to worry about to concern yourself with hypotheticals.

      As I used to say when my kids asked me hypothetical questions: "Don't worry about it. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow." ;-)

      Cheers

      Angela
      Thanks so much!! Yes, I am just going to go for it and if it proves impossible to do what I want on one site it will be possible on a bunch of daughter sites to a mother site... just won't be as smooth and pretty!

      Will just have to find a good guy/company and see...

      And you are right! They almost certainly wouldn't be able to build the business as I see it even if they built the site

      Great feeling having a big idea pop up! Can't wait to get it going..

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      • Profile picture of the author NicoleBeckett
        Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

        They almost certainly wouldn't be able to build the business as I see it even if they built the site
        Even if they could, the good ones won't want to. If you're working with true professionals (in any kind of outsourcing, not just web design), they're focused on building their own business, because that's what they have a true passion for.

        Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

        Great feeling having a big idea pop up! Can't wait to get it going..
        There is no better feeling, is there?! Good luck!!
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      • Profile picture of the author Marx Vergel Melencio
        Hi Rick,

        That's why you should learn everything there is to learn about the reputation of the service provider and their clients. A successful company that has been operating in their industry for years won't most likely risk what they built just for something that may or may not work, especially if they have long term contracts with prominent multinational corporations. Plus, if your idea does work, then this'll give the service provider a chance to promote their services better, to wider markets, since they'd most likely ask for your permission to mention that they worked on your successful project, and so was part of its development stage...

        Also, I don't think you should worry too much about this. It's like asking: Where would Facebook be now, if it started in an obscure university here in Manila, instead of starting in Harvard, after a campus-wide controversy? Or, where would Facebook be now, if it started in Harvard, without the initial campus-wide controversy? An idea won't go viral, won't gain a following, won't make money and won't achieve its fullest potential for success, if it isn't implemented, promoted and ran, in innovative ways most suitable for the current state of specific markets, in particular countries...
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  • Profile picture of the author HelpingYouBeAnExpert
    I web guy stole my idea and told me that I suck at selling and he will do a better job selling my idea and making money. Well he hasn't. I have had people steal my ideas in the past over the years but I don't let that stop me from moving forward. The reality is that alot of stuff that I try fails, but some work out and the key is to test the idea fast and cheap and move on and implement.
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetSuccess001
    Unless you are having one guy build the ENTIRE "business" (and I don't mean just a website, but I mean an actual business), and you SHOW him exactly what he needs to do to get paid, AND you pay him to do that...(which, would be kind of dumb)... then you should be ok.

    Lots of people "talk", but few people "act".

    Try this as an experiment. Take $100, put it in the middle of a room on a desk, then go to several people and tell them they can go have it. All they have to do is pick it up. Very few will, because they want to know what the "catch" is. And even if they can - many won't because they are too lazy.

    You can even announce an idea here -- but if it involves more work than pushing a single button and seeing $100 pop up in your bank account two seconds later, very few will act on it.

    So don't worry about -- just do it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rick Britton
      Originally Posted by InternetSuccess001 View Post

      Unless you are having one guy build the ENTIRE "business" (and I don't mean just a website, but I mean an actual business), and you SHOW him exactly what he needs to do to get paid, AND you pay him to do that...(which, would be kind of dumb)... then you should be ok.

      Lots of people "talk", but few people "act".

      Try this as an experiment. Take $100, put it in the middle of a room on a desk, then go to several people and tell them they can go have it. All they have to do is pick it up. Very few will, because they want to know what the "catch" is. And even if they can - many won't because they are too lazy.

      You can even announce an idea here -- but if it involves more work than pushing a single button and seeing $100 pop up in your bank account two seconds later, very few will act on it.

      So don't worry about -- just do it.
      aww yeah, gonna involve a crazy amount of work but if it goes big the sky is the limit

      but yeah massive action to be taken
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      • Profile picture of the author InternetSuccess001
        Originally Posted by Rick Britton View Post

        aww yeah, gonna involve a crazy amount of work but if it goes big the sky is the limit

        but yeah massive action to be taken
        haha, you just said something that most ppl are allergic to... "work".

        The more "work" it involves, the less likely you'll be copied...
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Mak
    not every outsourcer know how to work on your plan, because they might not have knowledge in marketing and seo.

    if you are really worry about the idea leaking, you can cut the project into 3 part, employ 3 different outsourcer to complete each part for you, this way they do not know the whole process.

    this remind me of KFC recipe, no one know it until now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Peter Hansen
      Most inventers in the world do this mistake.

      You believe too much in your idea and too little in yourself.

      What are the changes you run into an outsourcer that is:
      dishonest
      entrepreneurial
      has the skills to develop and promote YOUR idea

      I am using outsourcing in all my business' but none of the VA's or contractors would be able to grab my ideas, develop them into a good well working product, promote them, sell them and outcompete me in my areas. Not that I believe I am the best in the world and no one would able to do a better job than me.

      Do I believe I am the best in the world and no one can do better than me? NO! Thousands can do what I do better than me but they are definitely
      not specialized contractors or selling their time as VA's. 99 percent of the people out there who would be able to steal ideas and making profits and outcompete me are already doing well and don't have to steal.

      Non domestic NDA's are in most cases very expensive to back up and it does not justify the ROI of this process.
      If the potential of your idea justify this then you should patent it.

      My advice is: Believe in yourself that YOU are special and your idea depend on YOU.

      Let me know if I can help Warrior to Warrior.
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