What are ideas worth?

I am a man of many ideas, not all of them are what many people would think are amazing, my motto when it comes to ideas is this- "There is no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to an invention, I just don't have the right application for it yet."

I was speaking to a friend of mine recently, working towards a developing a special networking/database type of website.

I explained to him the over all concept, and he marveled at it, "there isn't anything I have heard of that is like it..."

He seemed impressed until I sent him a copy of my non-disclosure agreement.

Suffice it to say I was left feeling pretty deflated when he explained to me that my NDA was essentially laughable, and that my idea was worthless, "An ideas' worth is in proportion to how developed it is." According to him.

How could this be? Great ideas aren't worthless, how could they be? The person who came up with ideas for Facebook, Netflix, Ebay, Youtube, Amazon...Worthless?!?!

It turns out after he explained the reasons that it became clear, he was telling the truth, but only partially.

No matter how talented you are as a "do-er" it will never by itself inspire you, it does not make you creative, it does not make you a visionary. This very person chased some well executed, but terrible business ideas, and none of them to my knowledge made him any money. He has a very extensive education in IT, and at least a extremely good handle on contract law, but, he doesn't have any "great" ideas. As far as I am aware, he still works at a restaurant for close to minimum wage in his 30s. No disrespect intended for this, and I have always admired hard working people regardless of their station in life. But, to hear from this person that my idea was "basically worth nothing" until HE honored me with his skills at making my idea into something worthwhile was not only a little insulting, it simply wasn't true.

He could take my idea, develop it on his own, and make an obscene amount of money. He has my "worthless" idea, and I don't have anything in the way of a guarantee that my concept will not find it's way into someone else's hands.

Kinda like Zuckerberg vs. Saverin, in reference to Facebook. Or the story of Nicola Tesla, or Cody Wilson, or any of the great (probable) idea thieves of world history.

Which leads me to the conclusion that for every great idea, from a creative visionary, there is an unscrupulous and talented do-er to steal it along with every ounce of credit. The only ones claiming that an idea is worthless are the exact ones stealing them.

If you have a great idea you are passionate about, keep it to yourself, become a do-er and a visionary.

Trust no-one.