“Everything that can be invented has been invented.”—Charles H. Duell, U.S. Commissioner of Patents, 1899

We all know the Mr. Duell was slightly off in his assumption about the future. It seems more difficult than ever to come up with great new ideas because we think everything has been invented, but that is by no means the case**. There are millions of problems in the world that still need to be solved, and we aren’t even close to the end of innovation until all of life’s  little  nuances are taking care of.**

Too many people today don’t share their ideas with others because of fear—fear they’ll be stolen, put into action, and end up embarrassed like Seth Green in The Italian Job after his roommate stole the idea for Napster when he was napping in his dorm room.

Here are 11 reasons why you should share your ideas (including one why no one will steal them).

  1. Great Insight—It’s incredible how much insight people have if you provide the framework for an idea. Toss out a skeleton and watch your friends and family throw meat on the bones of your brainchild.
  2. Potential Partners—Last weekend I shared an idea I had for a software program with an international graduate student in computer science that I just met. Not only did she have the ability to potentially build the program but she was specializing in the functionality of what my idea revolved around!
  3. Motivation—The more I talk about ideas, the more motivated I am to act on them. It’s an instant flame to the kindling wood that when you talk to others about what you’ve got cooking.
  4. Foresee Problems—Let’s face it, there are tons of haters out there. If someone doesn’t give you a great idea to build on or feature to incorporate, at least you can use their pessimism to your advantage when they tell you all of the problems with your idea (but don’t let that get you down)!
  5. Test the Market—When you tell someone an idea and they say “I would LOVE something like that” you’ve got a winner. When they tell you, “I have something just like that!” you know it’s time to do better research and press the reset button, as in the case of your great idea for an application that maps your run (mapmyrun link).
  6. More Ideas—Get two idea-generating people in a room and they could dream up solutions to the world’s problems all night. If you’re an ideator, share with as many people as you can—you’ll be amazed at what you drum up.
  7. Spreadability—I bet you didn’t even know that was a word, did you? Spreadability is all about how easy it is for your idea to spread, and talking to others will show you if you’re working with frozen margarine or warm butter. Do you have an elevator pitch? Can you make a potentially complex simple enough for your friends to tell their friends? Sharing is a great way to find out.
  8. Moral Support—There’s nothing like some encouragement to put more faith into your ideas. Having people you know that are totally behind your seemingly crazy ventures is a fantastic feeling.
  9. Theft—People are too lazy to steal your ideas, but a good rule of thumb is to stay away from people who steal other things and to stay in the clear. If someone does try steal your idea, well, some of life’s hardest lessons are learned the hard way. Maybe that thief is just the motivation you needed to get to work on your next light bulb.
  10. Connecting the Dots—Maybe the person you’re talking to doesn’t have anything to add to your idea, but they may be able to put you in contact with someone with the skills you need. Having someone connect you to another valuable resource is a huge stepping-stone.
  11. Relationship Building—You learn a ton about people when you are sharing ideas with them. They see you as a more intimate friend if you trust them with an idea. And even if they can’t help you out with this idea, who knows what they may draw up and share with you.