When Someone Steals Your Idea as Their Own
"Imitation is the highest form of flattery."
At least that’s what the quote says. But if you’ve ever been on the other side of that imitation, I doubt that you feel very “flattered”.
Jacked.
If you’re not familiar with that term, it’s when someone boldly takes from you. In a word…steals.
Have you ever had an idea that was so inspiring and made you so excited that you couldn’t wait to make it come to life? You work hard on your new idea, finally executing it, only to learn a little later that it was jacked.
Maybe you developed a new and innovative product or workflow, solving a problem that will save your employer millions of dollars. You share the idea with your co-worker or your supervisor, they think it’s amazing, but before you can speak a word, they are presenting it to the boss as their own.
Maybe you found a niche and created a new business idea. You recruited a team to help you grow that business idea, provided training, shared your intellectual property and connections, only to have the idea cloned, rebranded, and presented as “new” to your same audience and customers.
Or perhaps you thought of a new book idea or developed a new invention that you knew would change the world. You excitedly share the idea with your friends and family or maybe even a potential business partner, only to discover that when you were ready to launch, the idea somehow “magically” was already on the market.
The problem with imitation is that it doesn't put in or respect the work.
I’ve often wondered how someone could – in good conscience – take and present something as their own when they knew they didn’t put in the work.
The countless hours of research and building spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations and attending meetings to find the solution to a work challenge.
The sleepless nights. The 90-hour work weeks. The times when your bills were barely getting paid, or not paid at all. The years of networking and building relationships, building e-mail distribution lists, and the constant pivoting and throwing things against the wall to see what sticks.
Being the CEO, the Admin, the Marketing Director, HR Manager, Web Developer, Project and Event Manager, and Janitor all wrapped up into one. The hard lessons learned and the psychological (and sometimes physical) bumps and bruises to prove it. All in the effort to get your business off the ground.
The money spent to build prototype after prototype. The hours of rewrites. The pitches to investors and the rejections. The constant doubting yourself and pushing through anyway because you want to see your idea come to fruition.
Imitation without giving credit is not flattering. It is audacious and insulting.
I think the majority of us would like to think that most people in the world are good and kind. I am one of those people. I definitely want to believe the best in someone before thinking the worst. The world could be a very cynical place if we automatically assumed everyone was out to steal from us. But what happens when they do? Whether advertently or inadvertently? What happens when you get burned? How do you handle that situation?
Let's talk about it!
Join me Tuesday, November 1st at 5:30 PM for an open discussion.
WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS:
- Evaluation. Is it theft or creative inspiration? What’s the difference?
- When your boss or coworker takes credit for your work. How to handle it?
- When the wolves come in sheep’s clothing. Can you spot a deceptive person on your team? What should you do?
- Intellectual property. When at all possible, protect your stuff.
- Vengeance. The high or low road. Can you take it without looking petty? Does it matter?
- Do you have receipts? Can you provide proof?
- What role do you play? What could you have done to prevent the theft or to protect yourself in the future?
I look forward to solving these challenges with you. See you in The Solutions Room!
La Donna Finnels-Neal
