What do you do if you got an idea but can't talk to anybody about it?

[Credos]

Ok guys, I'm going to be plain about is, I've got an idea about how to recuperate more oil in the gulf of Mexico, but I need to discuss this with some technical people to make sure I didn't miscalculate stuff...

This brings me to the problem that they can steal my ideas... I have many of these ideas but I feel like I can't trust anybody with them...

What do you do in such a situation...

The reason I posted that stuff about global warming is because I might have an idea on how to solve it and even use it to profitable means, but again I need to be able to go to somebody technical that wouldn't steal my ideas...

What should I do...? (I don't have family members who are technicly strong)

Ps: College is starting to feel like a waste of time... If only I had the money to support my research I could put my time to so much better use... Classes don't intrest me, like eaglecreek I'm just focusing on reading books that support my ideas and give me deeper insight on the problems that are within my ideas...

I posted this aswell on don Juan discussion

 

[synergy1]

Put your venture first and worry about people stealing your "great" ideas later. I find it odd that you want help from someone more technically inclined than you (read do all the work for you), but you want to reap the profits because you fear a lesser man will take them from you. You sound like a young Jeffry Skilling from Enron.

top scientists and engineers are already working on getting the oil. These people have twice as much experience in this field than you do years breathing air, what makes you think your solution will be novel, let alone profitable? You give yourself way too much credit I think.

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

Look around and make sure somebody isn't already doing it.

This has happened to me too many times.

 

[Warrior74]

Non Disclosure Agreements.

 

[Credos]

Thanks for the responses so far guys, I think I know what I have to do.

top scientists and engineers are already working on getting the oil. These people have twice as much experience in this field than you do years breathing air, what makes you think your solution will be novel, let alone profitable? You give yourself way too much credit I think.

I think it's very stupid NOT to give myself too much credit... Do you think it's better off thinking all my thoughts are probebly already though of and that I should give it all a try? I could also take a gun and just shoot myself cause then it just became clear how useless I would be... Everything I would do is for nothing then anyhow.

I rather give myself to much credit and go down knowing that at least I tried...

Yeh it's true that alot of people know more about stuff than me, but do you think that Henry Ford when he first started his company knew everything? In fact he didn't know everything even when he already had a successfull business, he did however have the right people who did. Yet he was one of the most successful people in his time. (his mother was from belgian origin btw)


You seem to make the mistake that 99% of the people around me seem to make...
If you don't try to walk you can't fall! But if you don't try then you're useless anyhow... (just my opinion on that matter)

Yeh, I'm a stuborn basterd

 

[synergy1]

Speaking of separation technologies, Kevin Kostner evidently put 20 million into developing a machine that does that back in 1992. He sold over 30 to BP. W.T.F?

If you have a good idea that you really think will make a difference, get the right team together to make it happen. Fill in gaps where you feel weak. I assume you'll need someone with an engineering background of sorts, and someone with some business acumen in order to make sure your venture can take off. We use NDAs as well with potential clients and industrial partners.

Oh yeah, Ford was a pretty sharp guy. He worked for Edison and became chief engineer by the time he was 30 and had enough resources to turn his passion for engines into a hobby. In the engineering world today, you'd be luck to get chief engineer of a premier company within 10+ years. Not bad stuff.

It seems like you got grit to do it. get on it!

 

[Powerlifter]

What Warrior74 said and me not having that signed piece of paper years ago cost me millions of dollars as anyone can take off with your idea if they see it is worth pursuing. Then make sure you seek patent protection etc.

Best of luck..

Powerlifter

 

[Credos]

Thanks for the responses guys, I think I know what to do!

I'm gonna give it all a go, I might fail or I might succeed but I don't care too much about that. As long as I tried I'm already glad

Thanks again

 

[Credos]

I've thought of another process that can make a very profitable way of making energy, however this idea could already be thought of... How can I check that nobody has made this? I've looked on the internet for it but haven't found any designs/videos or information on that idea but still, it wouldn't be unlogical that somebody already made it.

How can I check for patents etc?

 

[synergy1]

I've thought of another process that can make a very profitable way of making energy, however this idea could already be thought of... How can I check that nobody has made this? I've looked on the internet for it but haven't found any designs/videos or information on that idea but still, it wouldn't be unlogical that somebody already made it.

How can I check for patents etc?

The venture I am a part of is based upon making energy too, so I have a little background myself. You have to ask yourself these basic questions:

- Is your process a net energy gainer?
- What technologies are being leveraged?
- What is the LCA ( life cycle analysis) of your technology ...cradle to grave.
- how could you deliver your mode of energy?
- Could said technology be readily usable within current infrastructure?

The first is above and beyond the most important. If you require 20 MW to produce 3 MW, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see it won't work. Basically, the more "complex" a system, the less likely you'll get a net energy gainer. If you need chemical catalysts, centrifuge pumps, elaborate pipe systems, and the like...you probably have a net loser.

A word of caution, "making" energy is very, very difficult. Storing energy is also very difficult. Moving energy is, as you by well can guess, is very difficult. I feel my venture has a solid idea which address most of the points I brought up, YET there are still millions of dollars of challenges that need to be addressed via research.

Just to give you an idea about how serious some are about a similar venture, Exxon Mobile has thrown 600 million dollars into this technology with 300 million of it to a company called Sythnetic Genomics. The owner, Craig Venter, was the first to map the human genome and is basically trying to create artificial life. I feel pretty confident in my background, but reading what this guy has done makes me feel very small. Top 100 most influential people in the world, sits atop a major review committee in his field, 200 published papers. Basically what I am saying is that some very smart, high profile people are aggressively seeking new solutions in the energy field.

 

[Desert Fox]

Credos, first advice to you is to ignore these trolls that put you down. They are pretty much idiots that think everyone is like them and just because THEIR ideas (aka MEDIOCRE IDEAS) have been already thought of, doesn't mean your possibly GREAT idea hasn't.

Here's what to do: get a provisional/intellectual patent. This gives you a year to go out and work on your thing and you can tell people about it and they cannot take your idea for that year. Most likely people will jump on board your patent if they see its a good idea.

Basically just have SOME RECORD that YOU are/were the first to come up with that idea. You need some OFFICIAL RECORD of this. This way even if people DO steal your idea, and you have an earlier patent granted then you are good to sue the living sh1t out of them.

My background on this topic:

I hold 12 patents. (mostly for chemical molecules, I've had 2 big biotech companies approach me with offers already)
I am 21 years old.
I live in the USA, so check patent law in Belgium since they are most likely different on your IP protection/rights. GL.

 

[Desert Fox]

Just to give you an idea about how serious some are about a similar venture, Exxon Mobile has thrown 600 million dollars into this technology with 300 million of it to a company called Sythnetic Genomics. The owner, Craig Venter, was the first to map the human genome and is basically trying to create artificial life. I feel pretty confident in my background, but reading what this guy has done makes me feel very small. Top 100 most influential people in the world, sits atop a major review committee in his field, 200 published papers. Basically what I am saying is that some very smart, high profile people are aggressively seeking new solutions in the energy field.

News flash, Venter already succeeded in making "artificial life"....

...2 months ago. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/may/20/craig-venter-synthetic-life-form

Also Venter did not map the human genome. He and the NIH partnered up to get shotgun sequencing employed enmasse.

What Venter is doing is making the most BASIC life form so we can add stuff to it to make it do what we want. So if you want a bacteria that makes some protein, take his basic lifeform and put in the gene, boom you're done.

I would not say he is creating life at all. If anything he is doing a top-down approach. Saying creating life is suggesting he is doing it bottom-up, from chemical molecules. He still needs the original cell.

 

[synergy1]

I guess if you want to split hairs, you are technically right. I am no biologist so my explanation certainly glossed over how they did it. From my understanding, he didn't like how current science was doing it, so he thought of a quicker way to do it. Whatever, I can cut and paste wikipedia and get all the gory details...That was not the point. My point simply was this, a lot of money is going into this field. An idea is one thing, but it takes research, and development to make sure the idea is feasible, especially in energy. Solar Photovoltaic might be a sick idea, but its not feasible on a large scale ( cell degradation, inconsistent energy profile, expensive materials, low energy density etc). Its not hating, Its just the facts.

We were at a juncture about filing for IP or not. The cost was at least 10k just to file preliminary IP. We decided to focus putting money into growth and develop IP at a more advanced stage of development. This is specific to our efforts though, and is very much different from other ventures for sure.

 

[synergy1]

Credos, first advice to you is to ignore these trolls that put you down. They are pretty much idiots that think everyone is like them and just because THEIR ideas (aka MEDIOCRE IDEAS) have been already thought of, doesn't mean your possibly GREAT idea hasn't.

What is your background in the energy landscape? How many ideas have you brought to fruition on your own? While our idea might not have millions backing it like Synthetic Genomics, we have received pretty nice chunks of change to perform laboratory work in order get a good "proof of concept" of our idea.

I was a bit harsh in my first post, but I am genuinely curious now and have offered what I think is good advice. In all actuality, we are only a stage or two beyond the good idea in my mind, so I feel that experience is directly applicable to this.

A closing statement about "good ideas" and mediocre (old) Ideas. I would classify our idea over 30 years old. Furthermore, if you were to talk all state-of-the-art technologies and combine them, I think commercial viability of our idea would already be happening today. Basically, our idea will launch if we don't spend the time reinventing the wheel. As I said, energy needs to produce more than it consumes, so by keeping it mad stupid simple, we can do that. So what does the money need to be spent on? Probably the processes, and how to engineer them to be cheap, robust, reliable and to be capable of extremely high throughput.

Anyway, I wish you nothing but the best. If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me. I'll keep the derogatory stuff to a minimum

 

[Credos]

As I said, energy needs to produce more than it consumes, so by keeping it mad stupid simple, we can do that.

First law of thermodynamics says that is imposible .

Almost all the courses I've followed have directed me towards my goal. (Thermodynamics, fluiddynamics, kinematics, strenght of materials, materials properties, pomping, coolingtechnics, engines, elektromechanics)
This is not for braging but to prove I know what I'm talking about, I'm fairly sure my ideas are:
1) Produceable
2) The only costs it takes is production and development (->which I do myself atm), it does not use fuels (unless you count helium, though it doesn't get burned, its a closed compartement)

So what does the money need to be spent on? Probably the processes, and how to engineer them to be cheap, robust, reliable and to be capable of extremely high throughput.

Anyway, I wish you nothing but the best. If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me. I'll keep the derogatory stuff to a minimum

Like I said production is the hardest part for my idea aswell. Now on the first idea i still need to do more research for efficiency and energyconversion. On the second idea there is some data online about efficiency (it has the same efficiency as a car engine, 40%), energyconversion with that is logical and I've alwayse said the future lies in that kind of machine.

But i have to work it all out some more

 

[synergy1]

true, entropy states you can't go from disorder to order without using more energy. But, when you are using energy from the sun or something like that, you can have a net positive effect when considering a CV only around our system, not the entire system. But you are right, creating energy out of nothing is impossible. A system has to take what is already there and by using less energy than it produces, it is a net gain on our end.

I won't step on your feet since I don't know about your invention. You mention Helium which would make me assume you need some sort of gas separation technologies, and high pressure storage technologies. Production and dev will undoubtedly eat up at costs, and since energy is technically a commodity product your margins won't be great. ( no one buys gas because its from Mobil, they buy it because its 10 cents cheaper at the next gas station!). Again, just tossing random stuff out there since, and rightfully so, you are keeping things on the DL.

Is your background in mechanical engineering or chemical engineering?

 

[Credos]

I won't step on your feet since I don't know about your invention. You mention Helium which would make me assume you need some sort of gas separation technologies, and high pressure storage technologies. Production and dev will undoubtedly eat up at costs, and since energy is technically a commodity product your margins won't be great. ( no one buys gas because its from Mobil, they buy it because its 10 cents cheaper at the next gas station!). Again, just tossing random stuff out there since, and rightfully so, you are keeping things on the DL.

Is your background in mechanical engineering or chemical engineering?

Mechanical.

Helium isen't really necessary though, it would just improve efficiency

 

[Desert Fox]

I don't know about you, but you don't need to create EVERYTHING on your own.

In the USA we don't have to separate our own helium...it's called buying a big ass helium tank. People sell this sh1t, even to individual families for birthday parties to fill balloons.

Separation tech? Not even necessary to factor in the cost of that since you can just buy helium tanks from people who specialize in that.

Also if you are in a university you should be careful. Tehy can help you (less IP costs and lawyers can help), or totally rob you of 100% of your invention.

 

[Evzone]

Here's the entrepreneurial advice that I was given, and it does make sense: don't be afraid to talk about your idea. Here's why. You need to get more people involved.

The fact of the matter is that there are 300 million people in just the US alone. There are many other smart people outside of the country as well who have an interest in oil exploration and production. Just by probability and sheer numbers, I'd say at least 20 people have the exact same idea that you have, whatever it may be.

Your challenge isn't to come up with the most creative idea, since someone else probably has that idea already. Your challenge is to out-execute them.

Example: many people came up with the ideas of social networking websites, like Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, Hi5, LinkedIn, CollegeHotList, Orkut, and many others. Out of these, only three are actually important: Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn. Each serves its own niche, and each out-executed the competition. Obviously what you are doing is different than social networking, but I'm just saying that as an example. Your challenge is to do a better job of execution.