Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one’s monopoly.
Dhirubhai Ambani
In an age where people are skeptical about each other, it is hard to blame entrepreneurs – both budding and seasoned – for talking about patents in a trice. Almost everyone seems to be paranoid about having their ideas stolen. Almost everyone is concerned that someone will do a better job with their concept than they will. And while such fears are not misplaced, the cons of such thinking far outweigh its pros. For starters, you are bound to miss out on some constructive feedback that you would have otherwise had by sharing your ideas.
Now, we are definitely not advocating the approach of publicly proclaiming an idea so the world knows about what you are up to. That would be utter folly. However, you do not stand to lose anything by sharing it with your close ones. You can obviously always leave out the more sensitive details to play it safe. That way, you will be open to feedback while being at a lesser risk of having your idea stolen.
Probably the greatest way to convince yourself to be more open about your schemes is to understand the that you are not the only person to have had that idea. Such thinking is often nothing but food for our ego. Remember, as long as it has not been put into practice, your idea is just that – an idea. And ideas are no one’s monopoly. This applies to pretty much everyone who might have had the same idea as you. You need a solid, practical plan to make your ideas work, and that is only possible with positive feedback.
Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani, popularly known as Dhirubhai Ambani, was a business tycoon and the founder of the multinational corporate behemoth Reliance Industries. A strong proponent of thinking big, Ambani once remarked: “Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one’s monopoly.”