Keep My Startup Idea Secret - Google may Copy It

First time startup entrepreneurs are very protective over their ideas. With plenty of advice to the contrary, they still believe that ideas are the key to success. Only when you have lived through a startup do you know that your first idea is never what you end up with. Moreover, the challenges of implementation are where startups fail or succeed.

So, what happens if Google (or any other large company) copies your idea? Don't fret - not yet at least. Firstly, large corporations don't begin a project unless they are ready to invest significant time and/or money. This means they have researched the market and have identified an opportunity.

Competition validates your idea and increases awareness for the market. It provides an opportunity for you to differentiate and to focus whilst you ride the coat tails of their large marketing campaign. At the very least, they may be creating an industry for your to service. Operating in a new vertical can reap large rewards as many developers saw with the first iPhone applications.

Don't fret. Keep going. If anything, you've now got a better chance of success.