Why No One Will Steal Your Startup Idea

Jul 1, 2014 1 min readOpen
Photo of Courtney Seiter
Courtney Seiter

Former Director of People @ Buffer

When you’ve got a great idea, share it.

It might seem like counterintuitive advice, but that’s the philosophy that’s building Buffer: An emphasis on transparency and openness around almost everything we do.

So it’s no surprise that Buffer founders Joel and Leo focus on openness even when it comes to new and untested startup ideas.

Instead of the (quite natural) thought process of keeping a startup idea to yourself out of fear someone will nab it, they say the sooner you shout your idea from the rooftops, the more successful you’re likely to be.

It may feel uncomfortable, but often that’s a sign you’re on the right track. After all, how else are you going to figure out if your idea is what people want?

In this Founder Chat video, Joel and Leo explain the reasons why sharing early in the process was the right move for Buffer. Could it work for your idea?

What do you think? We’d love to hear your take on this topic in the comments.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our Buffer: Open Blog newsletter. Receive each new lifehacking, productivity and business leadership post delivered right to your inbox! Sign up here.

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