We overvalue ideas, and we overvalue our personal contribution to their creation and discovery.
Ideas aren’t dangerous. Ideas don’t have any power. They can’t hurt you, nor can they help you.
Nor can they be stolen.
We do all kinds of silly things to protect our ideas. We build a legal system around them. We speak of them in hushed murmurs behind closed doors. We sign meaningless pieces of paper promising not to discuss them outside of the room or with the wrong people. We argue over who owns the idea.
We love to inflate our egos with our brilliant ideas.
But an idea has no power or value unless and until someone does something with it. The idea must be born into the real world. It must move from abstract to concrete.
Ideas are a dime a dozen. In fact, they’re worth less than a dime for a dozen. They are worthless. Unless you…
Build the thing.
Gather the tribe.
Write the story.
If you want to make a difference, stop worrying about someone stealing your idea and go do something with it.
