How to best protect my idea when looking for a dev or partner?

So, I hope this is the right place to post this. It seemed relevant to business in general.

I have what I feel is a very strong idea for an app/site.
Technology-wise, there is nothing ground breaking about what I want built. But, the overall business idea itself has not been done quite how I want to do this.

I am meeting next week with a think tank group. They collaborate and work on projects under the community entity of this think tank business. They sometimes work for hire, sometimes they invest their time for a % ownership, sometimes they get investors involved.

I asked the guy about signing the NDA, and he said it was possible, not out of the question, but difficult because he can't sign anything that would interfere with other projects he is working on.

He said everyone in his organization has signed an honor code which prevents them from taking anyones ideas.

As I've thought about this more. I'm not sure what I have to protect IP wise. People have made apps, people have registered accounts on apps. People have posted offerings on apps, people have communicated between each other on apps. So, I'm not sure what my IP is, other than the summation of all that together for my specific purpose.

Am I being way too lax on this? Can I do a simple site schematic writeup on some letterhead and ask him to sign that this specific document is my idea?
I have an NDA doc created. It basically says anyone who signs cannot work on any idea discussed. But that was his point. Its vague to say, what was discussed, which might infringe on another idea he is working on.

Thoughts?

I really feel like building the site/app is not earth shattering in and of itself. It'll be the marketing and operating the business that will define its success or failure.

 

It's a tough one. The obvious question that comes to mind is why would you want to continue working with people you can't trust? Signing a paper is not really protecting you 100%. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably look for someone I can trust, first and foremost, and then I'd go ahead with the project. Because, let's say that it will turn out to be something really profitable, do you think others in the group will not want to profit from it too? I bet they will.

 

I absolutely echo the above post. Listen you need to trust your gut feelings on this. The very fact that you have created this thread shows me that you have serious doubts. Find another avenue to pursue this.
Unfortunately human nature is what it is and as far as making profit, few people can be trusted 100%

 

Thanks for the input guys. That is really not the issue, but I can appreciate the thought.
There is a non profit org that my close friend is a member of, and one of the primaries in that group, recommended this think tank operator as a good source for projects.
So, he might be all up and up and I certainly hope so. Will be meeting him this week for the first time. But, I just want to cover my bases, and ask the right questions so as to not be sitting here later going "dang, if I had only....".

This guy operates a collaborative think tank where people can join and then collaborate. And they take involvement in projects that interest them to help bring them to life. To what degree depends on how much they like the idea I guess.

 

It's harder than people think.

Ask Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or Facebook about this type of liability.

In reality, one thing I like to do?

Is keep developers as much "in the dark" as possible.

Have certain things outsourced to different people.

This is a complex strategy and can be researched at length, but try to design your outsourced work so that people couldn't rip you off even if they tried.

A new paradigm that requires more effort? Yes. But it's ultimately more safe.

 

I agree that you have to be careful with whom you associate in business and protecting IP is very important, especially the more disruptive and/or pioneering it is. In your case, however, it sounds like you are using known technologies/methods in an innovative day. If that is the case, the first day you open for business and begin marketing, the jig is up. The world will know your innovative idea and all will be lost. Or not. If you have your own business IP (marketing, merchandising, partnering, operations, etc.) as you imply at the end of your post, then you do have something that will be hard for potential competitors to duplicate. You will also have the basis for a lasting business.

Ideas are simply that. It is the implementation and execution performed passionately each and every day that transforms an idea into a business. As a consequence, I am fairly generous about sharing ideas as it often brings reciprocal benefits. I am confident that if I decide to act on an idea, I will bring my unqiue strengths to the project and that will, hopefully, be my edge.

So, my advice is that you should meet with these folks. They do seem to come well-recommended. Beforehand, however, prepare an outline of the least amount of information that you can provide to these potential advisors so that they can provide some assistance. It might be just one piece of the idea or perhaps a skeleton without some key details or something like that. But know what this outline is in advance and stick to it when you meet with them.

Would love to hear how the meeting goes.

 

Yeah, I went to one of those 7years ago. Now my network idea is worth over 10million and I never collected a dime from it(stolen).

 

I can understand your worries about your idea. But it's hard to protect yourself from such things legally. Any paper just signed by somebody but not in the presence of some public notary will hardly help you if some one steals your idea.

Nevertheless, I agree with the people above. If the people you are going to work with are those whom you can trust (got good feedback from many people or your friends, they have a considerable experience etc.) you can give it a try.