The widespread use of social media has lead our society to believe that sharing is good. We talk about our families, our hobbies, our jobs, our favorite songs. We describe our dinners, the clothes we bought, the weather in our city. And we certainly talk way too much about things that should remain private.
Do you utilize social media to stay in touch with friends, family, and other professionals in your field? If you do, have you shared information about your new production or invention? What has the reaction been?
I’d like you to consider that sharing information about your invention might be something from which you wish to steer. The reasons are both practical and emotional.
You have created a new product, one that might be derivative of something already on the market or something brand new and revolutionary. In either case, what is yours, is yours. You cannot assume that everyone with whom you share your idea is going to keep it confidential. You cannot even trust that someone will not take the idea as his or her own and attempt to sell it to the highest bidder. Before you open your mouth or share pictures of your blueprints on Facebook, protect yourself. Talk to a lawyer about patent protection and confidentiality agreements. Keep the nuts and bolts of your plans to yourself. If you are working with partners, get in writing who is responsible for what. This is business, and it’s serious, and it should be treated as such.
Now for the not-so-serious: Do your feelings get hurt? New Invention Ideas Will you be sad if someone who doesn’t understand your idea nay-says it? Imagine, if you will, the caveman who invented the wheel, and the laughter it brought to his cave-friends. More recently, think about the person who created the baseball cap to which you could attach and drink from cans of beer. How ridiculous he must have looked to some people! But both our caveman and our recreational beverage lover knew they had a good thing, and they were not discouraged. Unless you are confident you can keep the faith among negative feedback, it’s better to keep a closed mouth.
When it comes to Sharing, keep it focused on animals and kids and make your new product ideas off limits.
Do you utilize social media to stay in touch with friends, family, and other professionals in your field? If you do, have you shared information about your new production or invention? What has the reaction been?
I’d like you to consider that sharing information about your invention might be something from which you wish to steer. The reasons are both practical and emotional.
You have created a new product, one that might be derivative of something already on the market or something brand new and revolutionary. In either case, what is yours, is yours. You cannot assume that everyone with whom you share your idea is going to keep it confidential. You cannot even trust that someone will not take the idea as his or her own and attempt to sell it to the highest bidder. Before you open your mouth or share pictures of your blueprints on Facebook, protect yourself. Talk to a lawyer about patent protection and confidentiality agreements. Keep the nuts and bolts of your plans to yourself. If you are working with partners, get in writing who is responsible for what. This is business, and it’s serious, and it should be treated as such.
Now for the not-so-serious: Do your feelings get hurt? New Invention Ideas Will you be sad if someone who doesn’t understand your idea nay-says it? Imagine, if you will, the caveman who invented the wheel, and the laughter it brought to his cave-friends. More recently, think about the person who created the baseball cap to which you could attach and drink from cans of beer. How ridiculous he must have looked to some people! But both our caveman and our recreational beverage lover knew they had a good thing, and they were not discouraged. Unless you are confident you can keep the faith among negative feedback, it’s better to keep a closed mouth.
When it comes to Sharing, keep it focused on animals and kids and make your new product ideas off limits.
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