[xTazx]

Idea means VERY little.

Execution, execution execution.

Get someone to make it for you, through paying (helps protect you via contracts) or share equity, although I doubt you'll get a programmer without you having a strong track record in bus dev.

Good luck.

[Psyk]

(Original post by Inkerman)
I just had an insanely good idea for a website that would generate huge amounts of traffic.

And I mean an insanely good idea that no one has done before.

There's no way I could get the whole thing up by myself before someone ripped my idea off.

I don't want to share my idea with anyone else, what should I do?

I don't know php/mysql which is what I would need to know in order to put the site up, I don't know how to legally protect the idea either

Say you made this website, what would stop someone from stealing your idea after the website has gone live and doing it better?

[Inkerman]

(Original post by Psyk)
Say you made this website, what would stop someone from stealing your idea after the website has gone live and doing it better?

Very little, that's what I'm afraid of.

[danny111]

Ask the Winkelvoss'.

They know how to do this, oh wait...

[Inkerman]

(Original post by xTazx)
Idea means VERY little.

Execution, execution execution.

Get someone to make it for you, through paying (helps protect you via contracts) or share equity, although I doubt you'll get a programmer without you having a strong track record in bus dev.

Good luck.

Yes, it would have to be done right the first time, otherwise someone will steal the idea.

[Psyk]

(Original post by Inkerman)
Very little, that's what I'm afraid of.

My point is that keeping your idea secret doesn't make much difference in the end, because someone could just as easily steal your idea after you've made it.

[imMcLovin]

i know the feeling, iv had 3 really really good ideas just do know how i would carry them out, Two were GREAT website ideas the other was an APP that i reckon would do really good.

i sometimes have really good ideas but loose them while i sleep too.

ALWAYS write everything you got down.

[deek]

I could build it for you, but really what do I get out of it if your idea falls flat on its arse, or i find out its already been done by some chinese company(they think of everything). First things first, you need more than an idea you need designs. Hand drawn would be fine, layouts everything you need to explain to a coder and designer how they user is going to get from a through to z on your site and they way your idea works relative to that.

[estel]

(Original post by Inkerman)
I just had an insanely good idea for a website that would generate huge amounts of traffic.

And I mean an insanely good idea that no one has done before.

There's no way I could get the whole thing up by myself before someone ripped my idea off.

I don't want to share my idea with anyone else, what should I do?

I don't know php/mysql which is what I would need to know in order to put the site up, I don't know how to legally protect the idea either

Legally? There is nothing you can do. There is nothing that there's worth doing.
As someone said earlier: your idea is worthless. All of the value in a business, however good the "idea" is, comes entirely from the execution.

If you have no development experience, there is absolutely no chance you could execute this well enough alone within several years. Absolutely none. If you have faith in your idea, go to a bank or some VCs with a business proposition, get a loan and start a company?

Yes, it would have to be done right the first time, otherwise someone will steal the idea.

If your idea is good, someone will re-implement your idea; and they'll likely have more resources than you to implement well.

[estel]

(Original post by deek)
I could build it for you, but really what do I get out of it if your idea falls flat on its arse, or i find out its already been done by some chinese company(they think of everything). First things first, you need more than an idea you need designs. Hand drawn would be fine, layouts everything you need to explain to a coder and designer how they user is going to get from a through to z on your site and they way your idea works relative to that.

Why designs? Op hasn't professed to being a designer or UX guy. Non-technical co-founders can sit down with MS Word and draw up a solid business plan to work out how to make the idea profitable.

[deek]

(Original post by estel)
Why designs? Op hasn't professed to being a designer or UX guy. Non-technical co-founders can sit down with MS Word and draw up a solid business plan to work out how to make the idea profitable.

No, what i mean when I say designs is exactly that just ideas and plans on how they want the website to work. As a coder, it can be annoying if someone says "yeah I want a website" "it will make people happy" "go"

Then you build a site that makes people happy and they say "oh this isnt what i wanted", sure if your open to how you want the website to work fine say "happy people website go" other wise a basic list can work

[Mrkingpenguin]

http://www.codecademy.com/ is your answer

[estel]

(Original post by deek)
No, what i mean when I say designs is exactly that just ideas and plans on how they want the website to work. As a coder, it can be annoying if someone says "yeah I want a website" "it will make people happy" "go"

Then you build a site that makes people happy and they say "oh this isnt what i wanted", sure if your open to how you want the website to work fine say "happy people website go" other wise a basic list can work

Sure, but there's an extent to which someone such as the OP is looking for guidance on how to implement their idea successfully as much as having a clear vision for the conversion funnel or best UX patterns etc. The best sites are the result of a close collaboration between the client, the designer and the developer, and work best when all three communicate their ideas back and forth as frequently as possible. To present a client with a completed site having asked for no design feedback prior is sheer folly.

[justneedhelp]

(Original post by Inkerman)
I just had an insanely good idea for a website that would generate huge amounts of traffic.

And I mean an insanely good idea that no one has done before.

There's no way I could get the whole thing up by myself before someone ripped my idea off.

I don't want to share my idea with anyone else, what should I do?

I don't know php/mysql which is what I would need to know in order to put the site up, I don't know how to legally protect the idea either

Firsty - if you're over 18 get a loan from princess trust to help you start up this website. They'll help you out if you're idea is good enough to generate decent revenue. Secondly, go on the website for intellectual property rights (just type in patent forms in google) and fill out the patent forms and get this idea patented! An idea could take as long as years to get patented so if this is "insanely good" as you say it is , i say you hurry up and get to it! As soon as it's patented go to a website publisher and make them build your website. Sorted.

[Inkerman]

(Original post by estel)
Sure, but there's an extent to which someone such as the OP is looking for guidance on how to implement their idea successfully as much as having a clear vision for the conversion funnel or best UX patterns etc. The best sites are the result of a close collaboration between the client, the designer and the developer, and work best when all three communicate their ideas back and forth as frequently as possible. To present a client with a completed site having asked for no design feedback prior is sheer folly.

The more I think about it, the better and better it gets. Looks like I need to call up an old buddy I used to go to school with.

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by cyfer)
You run the risk (very similar to facebook's creation) of a designer in his own free time stealing the idea and improving it with his skills. As a user already mentioned, intellectual property laws are very tenuous without a well-paid lawyer.

OP better start coughing up the money.

EDIT: I honestly doubt OP's idea is worth anything at all.

(Original post by imgoodatpokemon)
I guarantee that your insanely good idea that no one has ever done before

Has been done before.

It's a shame how people are just so naturally cynical of anything that sounds promising or 'out there'. It could do well, it could be unique and innovative and just because reported precedent says that most start ups etc are flops, it's obviously not the case for all businesses.

It could also be a rubbish idea which has been attempted before but that's not to say that it definitely is, or isn't, because no one will know until OP decides to either learn how to code or if he's serious about this idea looks into investment options which would then potentially allow him to patent his idea and protect against clones and also work on starting it up.

I'm actually in a simliar boat tbh. I've got this idea which i think is great and one that people will really love and i know that because i would love to use it and would spend my money on it. It's definitely not been done before because i'd know about it and i've looked extensively into it but it's just a case of going from me as an individual with an idea to a big business with hundreds/thousands of people to deal with. I'm definitely going to start thinking of doing something about it soon though, it would devastate me if someone else came out with this thing because i'm convinced that it will make millions.

[cl_steele]

(Original post by Inkerman)
I just had an insanely good idea for a website that would generate huge amounts of traffic.

And I mean an insanely good idea that no one has done before.

There's no way I could get the whole thing up by myself before someone ripped my idea off.

I don't want to share my idea with anyone else, what should I do?

I don't know php/mysql which is what I would need to know in order to put the site up, I don't know how to legally protect the idea either

learn the languages and file a copyright claim?

[Psyk]

(Original post by cl_steele)
learn the languages and file a copyright claim?

It's not an issue for copyright (there's nothing to copyright yet, he hasn't made anything), but he might be able to get a patent on the idea, or at least parts of it.

[Fallen]

As others have said, it is all about execution. Google didn't invent search, Facebook didn't invent social networking, but they won because of execution. I find it unlikely that the OP will be able to pull off te execution that well even if it is a great idea. It is so much more than a bit of PHP/MySQL.

[cyfer]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
It's a shame how people are just so naturally cynical of anything that sounds promising or 'out there'. It could do well, it could be unique and innovative and just because reported precedent says that most start ups etc are flops, it's obviously not the case for all businesses.

It could also be a rubbish idea which has been attempted before but that's not to say that it definitely is, or isn't, because no one will know until OP decides to either learn how to code or if he's serious about this idea looks into investment options which would then potentially allow him to patent his idea and protect against clones and also work on starting it up.

I'm actually in a simliar boat tbh. I've got this idea which i think is great and one that people will really love and i know that because i would love to use it and would spend my money on it. It's definitely not been done before because i'd know about it and i've looked extensively into it but it's just a case of going from me as an individual with an idea to a big business with hundreds/thousands of people to deal with. I'm definitely going to start thinking of doing something about it soon though, it would devastate me if someone else came out with this thing because i'm convinced that it will make millions.

Cynicism is healthy to an extent, it help to destroy that gush of emotions that OP is no doubt feeling at the moment, forcing him to overlook many faults in his plan and to subconsciously bar out ways in which his idea may fail.

That being said it is fairly vital to check with several people to see your idea has not been taken and that it's not simply useless. Other people are more likely to see faults in your plan as they don't have the same attachment to it. OP's idea of not sharing it with anyone has a very healthy chance of failure because of this.

Also to note is the fact that there is a difference between having an idea (setting it up etc) and actually marketing it and successfully promoting it. You may still have a million-pound idea yet it may be worth nothing since you don't have the skills to promote it.

So yeah. Cynicism is great.

(Original post by Fallen)
As others have said, it is all about execution. Google didn't invent search, Facebook didn't invent social networking, but they won because of execution. I find it unlikely that the OP will be able to pull off te execution that well even if it is a great idea. It is so much more than a bit of PHP/MySQL.

Very well stated.

Ideas are only 20-30% of the problem.

(Original post by justneedhelp)
Firsty - if you're over 18 get a loan from princess trust to help you start up this website. They'll help you out if you're idea is good enough to generate decent revenue. Secondly, go on the website for intellectual property rights (just type in patent forms in google) and fill out the patent forms and get this idea patented! An idea could take as long as years to get patented so if this is "insanely good" as you say it is , i say you hurry up and get to it! As soon as it's patented go to a website publisher and make them build your website. Sorted.

Patents may take a half a year or longer to file, usually longer with murky ideas associated with the internet as they have almost always been done before and you can't patent it if it has been done before/patented the same idea in different words.