Idea Paranoia

Yesterday, I blogged about my plans to form a group to discuss ideas and innovation in Istanbul.  The idea has received enthusiastic feedback.  I am excited to move it forward.

I want to spend a few minutes on a key aspect of this group I am trying to form: Openness around ideas. I firmly believe that ideas grow by sharing.  Every time I have shared an idea with someone who will understand, intelligently question and provide insight to it, I have left that conversation with a stronger, better thought-out version of that idea.

I do know that conventional wisdom says that you should be careful with ideas and that someone can steal your idea.  I have signed many NDAs before, and have even made people sign my NDA.  At this point, though, I think that they are overrated.  In most cases, the ideas are dime-a-dozen, and it's execution that matters.

Fred Wilson, a few weeks ago, had a good post on what's called "opening the kimono", which is another version of idea sharing.  I found it insightful.

I am hoping that the Istanbul Tech MeetUp New Economy Group will be about sharing ideas and opening the kimono.