Věřte mi, váš nápad je bezcenný

Earth-shattering and world-changing ideas are a dime a dozen. In fact, that's being too generous.

I've had hundreds of would-be enterpreneurs contact me with great news: They have the next big thing, but they can't risk telling me (or anyone else) about it until I sign some form of idea insurance, usually a nondisclosure agreement (NDA). Like every other sensible investor on the planet, I decline the request to sign the NDA, forgoing the idea, often to the shock, awe and dismay of the stunned enterpreneur.

Why do I avoid this conversation? Because enterpreneurs who behave this way clearly overvalue ideas and therefore, almost by definition, undervalue execution.

As Prof. Mullins states in his book, investors come in two categories – one is the “Three F’s” – friends, family and fools -and the other is professional investors.

In the case of my business venture, I would say that my investors were in the latter category, which is to say that they invested in my new business concept more out of a desire to make money, than out of a desire to help me, although there was a personal relationship with one of my two investors.

As Prof. Mullins points out, experienced investors know that most new businesses will fail. The statistics tell them that. Hence, they approach every plan for a new business with a hefty dose of scepticism.

Now, consider this: if you approach a basically skeptical investor with a business plan for a new venture which he already knows has a greater chance of failing than succeeding, how are you going to change that skepticism into an overwhelming passion and exuberance?

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Martin Schlemmer: lidi (ať už investoři nebo ne) mají často tendence krást a intelektuální vlastnictví se krade velmi dobře. Proto bych určitě neodmítnul nikoho jenom proto, že se mnou chce podepsat mlčenlivost. To je silně krátkozrakej přístup. Teď zrovna řešíme s jedním hochem velmi potentní komprimační algoritmus a věřte mi, nikomu bych neřek ani slovo, pokud nepodepíše dosti nepříjemnou a vymahatelnou smlouvu o mlčenlivosti (jakkoliv je pak těžké něco prokazovat)

Michal Kubíček: souhlasím s tím, že nadšení investora pro věc je ještě důležitější, než jeho naprosté souznění s business plánem.