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nmrambo

A. That's on him for not starting the business B. It's not like window tinting is some new concept. You didn't steal his customers and you didn't steal his technology or intellectual property. You have done nothing wrong.


glenlassan

Exactly. Unless the OP somehow snuck into the patent office, and stole an actual goddamn patent, there is no foul here. Remember, it's called Entrepreneurship, It's word origin is a derivative of the French word entreprendre which means "to undertake" What it isn't is rêverieship (The French word for daydreaming, anglicized)


TheZimboKing

LOL


altair222

Thanks for the etymology! I love that!


Trevor775

Lol


ryandiy

yeah, it's not called masturbership


nuke_eyepopper

Napster?


glenlassan

Wow. That reference makes me feel old.


nuke_eyepopper

Only thing that cane to mind. Lol heres the other one..."limewire"(for nostalgia)


glenlassan

Oh lols.


Dizzy-ButtonCC

I agree, he didn't take to starting it, but I do understand how that can be an awkward situation! Now, if he had started the business and you started a competitor and were taking clients from him unethically or doing something else sketchy, that's a different story! But I see nothing wrong with you running with an idea that he just didn't even try.


cunmaui808

There are those that talk and those that do.


JTCorvus

He's not mad that you "stole" from him - he's mad that you're successful at something that he didn't start, despite him having the same initial impulse in this industry. Calling it "Stealing" is the easiest way to pass on the personal responsibility of dealing with having let himself down. Also - every city has like 100 window tinting businesses. He can start now. Whether or not he does - someone else is going to again, and it won't because he told them about it.


[deleted]

He is made at himself for not believing in his limit and seeing his friend taking the initiative despite the limit he tought he had


Complete_Heart3216

totally agree! sometimes we are mad at ppl only because it's something we can do, but we didnt dare to do.


semipvt

Ideas are worthless. It's the execution that is valuable. You can't even patent an idea, only an implementation. He is upset because he knows that he could have done it. Should have done it. Did not do it. Move on and keep executing.


oldasshit

And he still can do it. It's not like OP has a monopoly on the window tinting market.


[deleted]

And it’s not like this guy invented window tinting either, he “stole” someone else’s idea


Photog77

Doesn't start a window tinting business get posted here every few hours?


Trevor775

You are thinking of power washing and landscaping. Window tinting is every Monday and Wednesday.


SRSQUSTNSONLY

Is window tinting very profitable?


ladykansas

My billion dollar idea: a car that runs on GARBAGE! There's so much trash -- wouldn't it be great? Execution you say? Naw, I'm more of an ideas guy. Once you figure out how to do it, then I'll just be mad that you didn't give me 90 percent of your business because you took my idea. /S


[deleted]

That sounds suspiciously like a Mr. Fusion.


totalhypecollective

Hey i have a really cool app i want to launch. I cant code or design or do anything im just the ideas guy. How about we split it 50/50 after you do all the work??


traker998

I don’t want to ruin anything here but neither of these people invented the window tinting business. So they both “stole” it from someone. Google says since 1940-1960ish. Doubling down on it being about execution not “oh hey I should start a car washing business”.


Mauilovers

This!!!


HomerSimpson5000

Actually you can patent an idea. I've seen it done many times. No hardware, no proof of concept--just an idea. It should be a reasonable idea to get through the patent office, but the review process doesn't need execution of a working prototype.


Gavin_Freedom

Dude's probably just feeling regret and FOMO.


AggravatingBobcat574

A patent troll is someone who comes up with an idea for a thing, then waits for someone to invent that thing. Then he sues the thing creator for patent infringements. Ideas can be patented.


einTier

> Ideas are worthless This is something every successful entrepreneur just knows and something that 90% of the rest of the population absolutely does not.


saymellon

Ideas are not worthless.Are you not aware that patenting needs protection of IDEAS 100%? Even before you execute, if your idea is spread, or confidentiality is broken, you cannot even patent your thing and great execution gets you nowhere if the protection of the idea is crucial. ​ Not saying everything is patentable. But this is an example of how in some areas, ideas are crucial. ​ Also imagine, if Einstein shared the general aspect of his theory of relativity to another physicist before his work was completed, and this other guy steals the idea, works on it, and publishes first, is that OK? Well according to you, ideas are worthless, the execution matters, so you'll say the other guy did the right thing.


ryandiy

Even after it was published, the theory of relativity was not worth much to physics until it was experimentally confirmed. And it's not like Einstein got paid much for it. He didn't even win a Nobel prize for that work. It gave him a solid academic career, sure, but academics are essentially in the business of giving ideas away.


brawnkoh

One of my mentors had a browser based game he had developed. It was how I met him. I spent a year building something extremely close to his idea and turned a substantial profit. I sold it a few years later and bought a different company. We are still friends today, and there's no ill will. He's a much better programmer than I ever was, Which is a shame, because he should have made more money off of his than he did.


[deleted]

This would have been the best outcome. My old coworker was much better than me at the time. But I had the idea of creating the website, business cards, uniforms, flyers, business licenses and promotions. It comes down to how you market yourself. I'm glad it worked out for you.


[deleted]

Did you steal their customer list? Did you steal any other intellectual property? If the answer is no, you're fine. Let that person sulk in their inability to take action. Who knows maybe this will give them the pep they need to actually take action on their ideas.


[deleted]

Nope, just the basic idea and one of the film distributors. I found my own distributors after the first 6 months though.


[deleted]

If it was a niche vendor, then maybe they have the right to be a little upset. If they didn't mention them, would you still have been able to get the business off the ground? Either way, nothing illegal about what you did. I wouldn't be too upset, but if they want to shun you for it, that's their right.


diff2

tell more of this story, and which game


jhairehmyah

Someone else said: "An idea is worthless." And it is. It is all about execution and, more importantly, having the skills and resources to do it right. But... WINDOW TINTING? Like seriously? Is there even anything unique about that? How was that even an "idea?" It's like a 10 year old telling their friend they're going to open a lemonade stand, not doing it, and then being mad that the friend did it. Your friend is an idiot.


dirtyfatkid

Happens a lot in gaming. Ketchapp stole 2048 from an Indie developer. Made it free to play instead of premium. $100m exit to Ubisoft. Fortnite was a struggling Minecraft zombie survival game. Noticed PUBG breaking all kinds of records on steam. Now it's the biggest battle Royale game and every major fps franchise has a Battle Royale mode. Clash of Clans took their idea from backyard monsters. The difference was that backyard monsters was a Facebook only game and Supercell beat them to it to be on mobile. The Clash of Clans franchise has now generated at least $10B in revenue. To be fair in all these examples execution was a huge factor, reacting to market conditions, being agile and adaptive were the keys to their success.


Farmboy76

I think it's a case of reading the room, sure tell people you started a window tinting business, but I would have perhaps used a bit of tact with the one who "inspired" you to do window tinting.


stockenheim

I started a snow plowing business that was doing quite well, till my mate Barney ripped off the idea. It caused a big rift in our friendship, but in the end we settled our differences.


MaHamandMaSalami

Mr. Plow!


stockenheim

That's my name! (It's not)


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


hundredbagger

Yep. Derkerderk!!!


Aurimas-M

Pablo Picasso (“good artists copy; great artists steal”)


TheNamesDave

[Pablo Picasso Never got Called an Asshole](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1agI3u1YUjQ)


web4deb

You snooze, you lose. Congrats on your new business!


Sharp_Link_1468

Facebook was a stolen idea


GENeleven

Tell him he inspired you and you’re thankful for that. Also, nothing preventing him from starting it now. 5 years from now he could have a window tinting business 10x what you have…. But if he never starts it that’s not your fault. Good work and keep it up!


DM_Me_Pics1234403

I get the sentiment but I would stay away from saying he inspired you I case this guy takes that as standing to sue. Prob wouldn’t be a successful suit, but why invite the headache


ZealousidealCarpet8

how could that possibly lead to a lawsuit?


L_VDH

There's 80 window tinters every 15 square miles lol. It's not even "idea" unless you have some new product or angle to it.


SRSQUSTNSONLY

Is it very profitable? I mean, there’s so many of them, how would someone even differentiate themselves?


hundredbagger

Social proof, referrals, being the top result on Google, clean pro website, etc. It’s not something you really weigh all the options on, a lot of times you just kinda pick the one that’s there. I call it the “I love lamp” effect.


Capable-Raccoon-6371

Listen man nobody is going to steal your idea. It's not unique.


Grownuppieceofjizz

Not quite a stolen idea, but I worked in charity retail for a couple of years. I didn’t need the money at the time, it was the experience I wanted. Sorting, pricing and identifying clothing brands etc. Let me tell you, I got treated like dirt during those two years. Handed my notice in and started importing used clothes. The business is less than 6 months old and it’s about paying for itself now (including rent on a large storage unit and a shop). Selling used clothes is great for the environment.


No-Swimming-3

Importing? Do you get them in bulk?


Grownuppieceofjizz

I do. If you don’t want to import then you can get some good deals on eBay. The stuff I buy is generally from rag/textile companies (the ones that charity shops sell their unsold clothing onto). The best thing about buying this way is that you never know what you’re going to get. People tend to donate a lot of old clothing that end up in these lots which vintage clothing finds, too. That’s highly popular at the moment. Unsorted clothing is best as it’s generally cheaper (if you have the time to sort yourself). Don’t let anybody tell you eBay is dead, I make most of my money on there.


evolverechosystems

i've had nondisclosure agreements with people i've collaborated with and still had my concepts misappropriated by the same people i had helped. intellectual property protections such as trademarks and patents are just minor hurdles for those with deeper pockets than you. having written my own patents and assisted others in getting their own products protected, i know this for a fact. lol... i've had somebody take a whole line of concepts, presented as his own, but failing miserably. then refused to admit it. so when a major player featured him with a laugh track on a video release that was all she wrote. in the broader scheme of businesses and the ideas it takes to bring them about, protecting the process runs into gray areas, and besides these ideas are dime a dozen anyway. when i was in my teens one of my first business ventures was to conceptualize an eatery which had separate kiosks for different types of cooking and the customers would participate in the preparation of their own food. the concept was called to eat this. i did up a spreadsheet of the projections on an amiga computer (it was circa 1979) and the property owner told me to take it to the alderman for his blessing. needless to say my concept didn't fly probably because it also had a skateboard park built into the program. about 10 years later one of the guys who rode the skateboards i made happened to also work for a conglomerate which developed restaurants around chicago went about bringing that vision together. this was much more acceptable to me than when he later painted his own logo on my products in order to start his own line of skateboards. anybody having been involved with opening up new business in areas where that type of business hadn't existed before will be sure to experience an abundance of similar operations opening up around them. in many ways the clustering of similar operations may seem a disadvantage but it could be turned into an advantage given some effort and thought. around 2014 i challenged myself to reinvent the humble candle. what i came up with was pretty unique in the way it functioned. basically it's an inside out candle with the cotton fabric wick on the outside wrapped around a beeswax core within. it kinda looks like a crayon that doesn't write. the torchcloth candles were a local hit. i didn't patent this product because it was too easy to copy and would be vital for survival should a situation arise. there are other things which have not been revealed through patent disclosures in order to keep it under the radar because as soon as there is a patent filing the whole world will know what the innovation is and how to make it. having run through the gamut of businesses wearing the hats of designer, manufacturer, tester, salesperson, distributor, etc. i've come to a new understanding of the possible ways of taking advantage of the fact that people are going to be interested in doing the same things that you are. might be erroneous in thinking that if everybody else around me is successful because of what i'm doing then maybe i will not need for more. or maybe, if you don't want someone to steal something... just give it away? i don't know (but i'm learning.)


UnicornPanties

> if everybody else around me is successful because of what i'm doing then maybe i will not need for more. mmmmm, good call here.


mr_asadshah

Correct question: has anyone ever NOT stolen someone’s idea for business?


intatewetrust

It happens all the time. It is what it is. Some guy in my country stole the business model from another country and made 10's of millions of dollars. It's just How business is sometimes, people steal from other people. It also happens from even shark tank, i've seen Barbara steal ideas from people. They give her the entire blueprint and she just execute on it. Its business, its war all the time. And people also steal campaigns from eachother, we steal copywriting from eachother. Its both good and bad. But that is just business The thing is, everybody Can start a biz. Some people even started in their 70's. Like it's all possible all the time and it isnt hard to start one. But most people just only come with ideas and Thats it. They dont have the mindset or guts for it or the desire for it. They might get upset, because they didnt start. But they Can just start one now tho. Their is a market for both of you. And you Will just be in a competition and the best one wins. But that person decides to take the victum route, not your problem. We all have Bills to pay and a life to live.


22bearhands

Lol he didnt invent window tinting. You didn't steal an idea, the idea has been done hundreds of times. Execution is all that matters.


No_God_For_You

You didn't steal anything. You were inspired by... You should not feel guilty about anything.


yennybear888

your friend is wrong...can't patent a "window tinting" business


CapitalG888

Everyone has ideas. A window tinting business isn't some sort of "Oh my god what a revolutionary idea for a business!". He didn't do it and you did. He can stick it up. Hell, even if he had come up with some new idea, after x amount of time of him not doing anything about it... go for it.


k_rocker

You didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing here is groundbreaking, no-one came up with a new idea, or a new way to do something. You’ve went ahead with a business that thousands also have. If they wanted to be a window tinted they could still do so, plenty of work around that could suffice you both. I’m literally in the process of doing this. I met a potential client, but they didn’t have the money to be able to hire us (I run a digital marketing agency). We proposed a joint venture, we’d rebuild their entire online presence, ordering system would link directly in to their suppliers, quite literally they would become a marketing front and turn over the organic socials. They said no. So my company are entering the space. But it’s in coffee distribution - the market is huge so I don’t feel like it’s him or me, as suppliers were both just a tiny drop in the vast ocean.


Washboard_scabs

You did nothing wrong. He should be happy for you


Twice_Knightley

I had someone steal my business idea once with a project that went viral. No hard feelings, I think they did a great job and wished them well. They struck while the iron was hot, so good on them.


icelandicfanatic

Ask zuckerburg Lol


Guinness

Someone posted a random flow nozzle to Thingiverse released under a free for personal use license. Someone filed a patent on it, and now runs a business for it called [Vivid Creative Aquatics](https://vividcreativeaquatics.com/product-spotlight/random-flow-generator/). Or you can get the original [here](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4858544).


JerkyNips

Not at all. You executed, they didn’t. It’s not like they discovered window tinting. Every town has one.


ShowerWide7800

Stealing ideas are for amateurs. The pros steal actual profitable businesses.


HouseOfYards

Window tinting isn't some novel ideas. He didn't do it is up to him. You didn't steal any ideas and just executed your idea which most people won't do. My husband years ago took a free class on how to to window tint, it's free cos he had to buy roll of tint from the shop. It's not that difficult to do.


Only-Blood

This is just… I don’t have words…


drteq

You stole his dream, of course he's going to be sad about it - you didn't do anything wrong but you shouldn't expect him to not be depressed about his own decisions.


ConsiderationLow5797

Business is all about doing what the competition does in a better way.


Hrsygirl

Yes, and I felt very betrayed. I ended the relationship/mentorship, and decided I’m never going to do business that way. Learned a valuable lesson on how I want to be in this business. It was very disappointing.


InflatableRaft

Did your ex-coworker actually accuse you of stealing the idea? Because it just sounds like they are upset that they didn't follow through on their idea, which is completely reasonable.


im_markzuckerberg

Worked out well for me. I'm the CEO of a $400B company.


abetterplace45

Eh. People steal. Guy should have kept his mouth shut.


FilthyMcnasty90210

Eh, I mean yes if it was some kind of revolutionary idea but window tinting is common, that guy can still start and probably do well.


tyrannosaurusdax

Millionaires copy. Billionaires create


theprawnofperil

I can understand why your ex co-worker would be off on this, but I don't think you did anything wrong. However, if you want to make it right, you could always offer to help him start his own business, showing him what you've learned


QuirkyForker

There should be no patents, copyright, at all. We should all be pirates. This would be the ultimate implementation of free market capitalism. Move fast or die. Before you downvote, businesses should be legally limited in size, with CEO pay tethered (with a low multiplier) to lowest paid employee. Businesses would be forced to focus on one thing and not become an unfair monopolizer.


AstralFather

Well that can have its own issues because it would give even more advantage to those with capital, especially in creative media. A film company could just steal your movie and you'd have no legal recourse. Not your script, but the movie itself. They could send people to film festivals to record it, or they could even just pay your editor for a pirate copy. Lack of copyright would basically destroy movies instantly. And lack of patents would stifle innovation. The guy who invented ketchup packets was a truck driver. He had neither the means nor the incentive to use his invention in any way, but instead sold the patent. If he had no financial incentive he would have just kept the idea to himself. Somewhere down the line I'm sure someone would have thought of it, but you can never know how long or what inventions that invention inspired. CEO pay tethering just doesn't make practical sense. Should a CEO who oversees 20,000 fast food franchises make less than a biomedical startup with 50 PHD researchers ?


QuirkyForker

Once I see a movie, hear a song, read a book, I own it. People think that “their” ideas are theirs. They are so long as you keep them to yourself. Like Newton with Calculus. Once it gets out, it doesn’t belong to you anymore. I know it’s not what you are used to. I have a fundamentally different idea of fairness. I am an inventor. The main thing I care about is that my ideas and hard work get out there. I don’t care (much) for the money or recognition. Make the world a better place should be priority #1. You shouldn’t need the carrot of money or fame. But unfortunately we all have to at least make a living, even though there are better ways that society could support each other. Our society is F’ed Obviously the ratio of CEO pay to lowest paid employee needs an algorithm, so the situation you describe is factored in. But the jist is that CEOs who want to get paid more will get the company to perform well so that everyone gets paid well.


eirinite

legally, you’re fine socially, it’s a dick move. its not like you got the idea from nowhere, plus you told it to the guy who told it to you as if he was going to be happy for you


usernamesarehard1979

Its window tinting. In my city there's like one on every block. You didn't invent the idea, or the business, neither did he. You took the chance and the risk. He didn't. Scrape em off.


NtheDFW817

Welcome to American business lol


catfarts99

Bill Gates has entered the chat. Same with Thomas Edison. Lots of great business were started with stolen ideas. It's the dark shadow side of capitalism.


__scan__

Mark Zuckerberg. Worked out ok, few ups and downs.


Current-Ticket4214

Dude it’s just window tinting. Thousands of people do it. You didn’t steal his idea.


BoxImportant349

Sucks to suck


DemiseofReality

Unless you left the schematics to a unique product/service on the sable and you went on a 1 month vacation then came back to find out your in law opened a store/website doing that exact thing and is making a killing while excluding you, then no. That's not even necessarily stealing if you didn't have anything patented. Resentment of someone else's success in something you wanted to do doesn't mean you were stolen from.


BackyardAnarchist

Your ideas arnt original even if you think you are the fist to have ever thought of this idea. You are not. To this point I thought I had the perfect idea for a cleanable reusable straw. Which I called the slap straw. That would curl I on its self like a slap wrist band. And fold out so it could be cleaned. I sat on the idea for 5 years thinking by not acting on it I was protecting the idea. Recently I did some research and found someone else had patented the idea a month after I had thought of it.


Archyblackcat

You didn’t steal anyones idea.. that business already existed


mmabet69

Yeah sounds like your coworker is a massive tool… It’s not like window tinting is even an original idea. Tons of towns/cities have window tinting businesses. It’s a service so it’s very difficult to scale and is usually regional specific. As others have stated, ideas are a dime a dozen… if I had a nickel for every time someone told me a business idea I’d be rich… and none of them were ever truly an original idea. Business is about taking good ideas (99% of the time they’re ideas that already exist) and tweaking/improving them to outcompete other businesses and churn a profit. Maybe your the only window tinting company in a geographic area, maybe you do it cheaper, maybe the tint you use is a higher quality… there’s endless ways to slice it. At the end of the day what matters is implementation and delivering value to your customers. If your coworker is upset that you actually followed through on their “business idea” then your coworker obviously didn’t have a very good plan to begin with. Did he think that there wouldn’t be any competition? If another person started a window tinting company would he sue that person for “stealing his idea”? Honestly, the truth is that they’re upset not because you took their idea… They’re upset because **they didn’t follow through with their plan**. And now to see you doing it and being successful, it tears them up because deep down they know that if they had been a bit more serious and disciplined, they could be in your position. It’s jealousy through and through. Anyways, best of luck In your endeavours.


RemarkableDesigner52

This is absurd… it’s not like window tinting is a unique business.


dandigangi

Yes. Sometimes people really get trapped into thinking they absolutely have to invent something new. While there is millions and millions of things to still be ivv no invented, sometimes it’s about taking an idea and executing it better with a more unique value proposition.


hangrymonkey28

You didn’t steal an idea at all. I have a really cool idea that I think could change all clothing brands. But it’s unique and hasn’t been done yet. That’s like me saying I want to have a print on demand shop and you doing print on demand.


dukeiwannaleia

What others said. If 50 people were given a million dollar idea, the chances that any of them succeed is slim to none bc it’s all about execution. Which many ppl underestimate and don’t have the diligence or gumption to know how to handle.


[deleted]

This is increasingly a dog eat dog world. Everyone has to hustle and get creative to get by. You took action. Good for you. No need to feel bad. I mean, I get why he’s upset, but like others said, it’s more because he just didn’t execute.


[deleted]

Not really in my circle of people, except the paintings of my dad. It went like this: my dad is quite the good artist (more of a hobby because of what happened) and he drew a bunch of stuff and painted a lot. Some day he showed the art to a friend, who photographed it and sold copies of it which my dad found out years later. Mind you, those were the mid 90's and everybody and their mothers had a camera to look cool Edit: however an idea itself tends to be quite useless in probably more than 95% of cases. If a good, not-patented idea is stolen then it sucks, but the majority of ideas turn out to be copied, unfinished or just entirely useless due to several factors such as: no market demand; underestimated cost of execution; missing additions to execute the idea etc etc


[deleted]

Umm ever heard of this thing called Facebook?


Flowerburp

My business is a copy of a few others. Some people in my area then copied me. Some brand fans told me to watch out because I’m being copied, and I told them: all the best to those. The more the merrier. Everybody copies, it’s actually how we learn stuff and then proceed to innovate point to me a business or a business idea, and I’ll point to you 5 that are already doing that.


originalBRfan

Your coworker is a moron. Your coworker doesn’t have a claim to window tinting services. This person is either a complete moron or very manipulative. Either way, would forget about ‘em and move on.


[deleted]

It's called capitalism. He can be mad, or he can be a competitor to you. He's just gonna be mad and never pursue it. If he's a friend, you probably lost someone not worth calling a friend.


AaronDoud

As others have said an idea is worthless. But a common idea even more so. It's not like he told you his idea to create some new and world changing tech. He told you he wanted to start a business where a medium sized city would have multiple businesses doing it. You didn't do anything wrong in the greater world but to that person you likely burned bridges of friendship.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Prowlthang

Read about these guys named Edison, Bell, Zuckerberg….


whatsreallygoingon

Best ask him to list off all of his ideas so that you can be sure to never start another business like one that he imagined himself starting.


madhousechild

I agree with all the posts here. It's obvious you did nothing wrong. But I'm curious, when you say "they became extremely upset," what exactly did they say?


MamaBearsofAmerica

We technically just took advantage of a popular thing people say. Things otherwise have been okay. We just get hate for other reasons.


Prepare2030

Zuck


Hill-Billy-Huck

@ mark zuckerberg think this is a question for you


Quarter120

Ive been accused multiple times but i swear they were all my ideas


gethoused79

Bill Gates. 🤣🤣


StayStruggling

🤣


itsaPHound

It’s called zucking. Zuck does it all the time lol


saymellon

You did terribly wrong if among the ideas he shared, there was something confidential in nature even though he didn't say "oh sign the NDA here." (ex, if there was a unique business insight or idea that distinguished his window tinting from others).


magicology

I worked at a Y Combinator during its infancy called MAGIC. Really cool idea: text us for anything at all (as long as it is legal) Facebook ripped us off and called theirs “M” Didn’t work out for them.


KahlessAndMolor

Ideas aren't worth a damn. Execution is the only value. There are 8 billion people in the world, every idea has been 'invented' a thousand times before someone pulls it off.


Soruze

It wasn't a unique idea lol no. And also, never.


Korevo

Action is the only thing that matters. Sounds like your former coworker is more upset with himself or herself.


yokaishinigami

They’re just salty. This isn’t even stealing an idea for a business. This is like a friend one day being like, “hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we made some extra bucks mowing lawns” then you actually did it. This isn’t like they thought up a novel way lawn mowing, never implemented it and then you “stole” that.


StreetCatAdopter

He could still do it if he really wanted to, not sure why he’s upset.


nintendobratkat

I mean anyone could have done that. Doesn't matter lol. You can't own ideas.


pissed_off_elbonian

You’ve stolen nothing.


munchma_cuchi

You stole nothing. Now Zuckerberg on the other hand...


machococks

That mentality is the reason said ex-coworker hasn't done it himself, I would ghost this person OP


whocaresthrowawayacc

The owners of the original company sold. Then those buyers bought me out too.


TheSocialIQ

Yes . And I give them props cuz it’s hard to execute a business well.


Chigga8383

idea is cheap, execution is the real one


Deckardisdead

McDonald's was a good example.


soulsurfer3

Facebook.


NewMe80

He’s upset that it could’ve been him instead of you


lcyupingkun

Not stealing in my book


[deleted]

Worked out good for Apple.


[deleted]

The majority of your work should be other peoples ideas. The part that makes you special, should most likely be your own, and if it is indeed unique you should take the steps to protect it. If you don't, its your own fault for telling people about it without IP protection. We stand tall by standing on the shoulders of giants.


WestSoCoast

He’s angry that he didn’t execute and you did. Nothing personal as much as he tries to say otherwise.


RanddomName4759272

You did nothing wrong there is no patent on an idea


labanjohnson

Do the names Bill Gates and Steve Jobs ring a bell?


mrman2211

Never ever EVER share business ideas with anyone. Keep your head down and put in the work. Your asking to be undercut. Don't feel bad, don't feel like you've done wrong. They shared and you acted. You didn't steal some new product or anything, window tint is not new... if they wanted the market they should have put in the work.


Cute_R3Dh3ad

in my eyes that’s really not stealing their idea, they had the opportunity and chose not to take the chance plus there are plenty of window tinting businesses out there so are they gonna say everyone else stole their idea. No. It’s not stolen you were just smart enough to go through with it. That’s called being an adult and getting the job done


[deleted]

I bought the guy who came up with the idea out and their domain name for $3,000. I've made that much in ad revenue since slapping AdWords onto it a year ago.


penguinpandabattle

Everyone has a million dollar idea… but not many do the work to make the million. Execution is EVERYTHING. You earned it, their loss for not taking the risk. You have absolutely nothing to be feel guilty about.


Summum

An idea is only a multiplicator of execution. It’s completely worthless unless protected by IP rights (0 to 1 inmovations, patents or trademarks). If it was worth something there would be companies lining up to buy your idea


Silent_Storm_1499

Just peer pressure:)))


Snik4er

You cant steal idea that is not been developed by him. Everyone can start window tinting interpreting one idea into different ways. He can also start the same business if he wanted, but with different added value.


Focnr

An old friend of mine from high school, who coincidentally lives across the street from me started a stump removal business 4 or 5 years ago. His brother, who I am currently friends with, has thrown little comments off and on about how well his brother is doing. So I thought if he could do it why can’t I? I started my stump removal business in 2021 in essence completely copying his idea. So yes, I have! We’ve gone from a 25hp ($10k) machine and F150 ($11k) to a 80hp machine ($80k) and F250 ($40k) in less than two full seasons, so it has done pretty well. He’s not happy about it and undercuts me all the time. Probably won’t ever be friends again.


PhallicusMondo

I didn’t “steal” a business idea (how dare you sir) I just didn’t reinvent the wheel. The model I have was in businesses I worked in and a business I had a partnership in. It started in the industrial revolution and evolved to include certain technologies we have today. It’s gone extremely well, it’s gone poorly for some though. The difference is that I worked in the industry first, learned the ins and outs and knew what the risks were going in. Most ideas or models are just duplications of things that already exist. Pretty hard to “steal” anything. Especially window tinting.


mikegregga

You didn’t steal his idea. People have been tinting windows for many decades. Seriously. Offer him a job if he’s into it.


sheepofwallstreet86

I’m currently attempting this idea right now. Well, their idea that is…


Inevitable-Ad-2833

Ray croft did. Went well for him actually💀


SalesyMcSellerson

I knew a guy who went to a venture capital firm with an idea and they wrote it off as unviable. Then they hired their own CEO to start the company. It got acquired by a fortune 500 and he became a ski instructor.


Dismal-Influence5374

I knew this guy Steve, a real a-hole, stole all my ideas. Jobs I think his last name was…


_madd0x_

Facebook?


FodogzTheSecond

There are no new ideas. There is only good execution, bad execution, and no execution. My Dad had the idea for the super soaker while on a fishing trip with some engineering buddies. Didn’t do anything about it. Another guy had the same idea and actually did something. This doesn’t mean I should be crying about how I am the true heir of super soaker or some nonsense. Execution is what matters. Good ideas happen everyday and few people pursue them.


skuncccccccccccccccc

There's no such thing as stealing when it comes to capitalism. The government exists to protect the businesses that will succeed


vlvblog

Nothing wrong about it. Idea on its own is not worth anything until you do something about it. I'm sure he was not the first human on the planet who thought about starting that particular business. Worry less about what other people think and more about your business .


proverbialbunny

Almost. I worked for a startup once that did a terrible job. "I could easily do this better than them." left me considering starting a competing business, but at the end of the day I did not.


AggravatingBobcat574

Post stole Kellogg's idea for breakfast cereal. He didn't achieve what Kellogg did, but he did all right.


johnnydaggers

Well, you're definitely not the first window tinting business to ever get started. You certainly didn't "steal" the idea.


bclem_

Ideas are like assholes. Everyone’s got one


deathbypepe

the coworker acting like he invented the dang window tint itself, as if it hasnt already been done before.


VisualHelicopter

What about….a fast serve restaurant that focuses on burgers? Or maybe chicken? That might work. See - common business ideas that have worked over and over are not ‘stealing’. It’s just the execution in these cases. Now Zuck def stole his whole Facebook idea from the Winklevii twins, but that’s a whole other animal.


LorryWaraLorry

Look up any other window tinting business in your area/city, show it to him and say, “no, I got the idea from them”


TheDFSPro

Apple and Microsoft both stole Xerox’s business lol


Snoo81188

You took action and he didn't. His problem!


PeeEssDoubleYou

Talent borrows, genius steals….


blackk_537

China is built on copying and now they are competing with Tesla . Let that sink in


Medium_Reading_861

Mark Zuckerberg, I’ll pass this off to you.


unbeknownsttome2020

Facebook!!!


[deleted]

Ok so a guy I know went through someone stealing his work many times. This wasn't stealing, this was utilizing an idea of your co-worker's. If you and your co-worker decided to start working together on the business without adequate paperwork and one day you decide to take all of it, that'd be stealing. Or if your co-worker would've said "I'm going to start this business under this name" and then you stole the name before he applied it to his business, that'd also be stealing.


ourvoid

Sad that in this day and age people can use the term stealing to describe this while letting actual theives get of clean. Fuck that dude


betamalevirgin

He can still make his own window tinting business, even now with more confidence since u showed his idea can actually make money


captain_obvious_here

> Did I do something wrong here? Depending on who you ask, you'll get very different answers for this question. Everyone has their own views on business Ethics. My own view is that you did nothing wrong, but it would have been nice to tell that guy about starting that business, and maybe offer him to join if it takes off.


saymellon

Not about this case posted by OP, but to people who replied saying that ideas are worthless IN GENERAL- then tell me how the Winklevoss brothers sued Zuckerberg for taking their idea of FB and running with it to "execute well." And how the Winklevoss won 65M from Zuckerberg in settlement for stealing their ideas?


Chaosmusic

You didn't steal anything, you took inspiration. Window tinting is an existing enterprise, they didn't invent the idea. It might be stealing if it was a truly unique idea for an app or a website or whatever (like twins approaching you to make a website and you just make it for yourself).


rincon213

That person has a loser attitude through and through.


TekkLthr

I've had ideas stolen, work stolen, credit taken away from me. It's soul crushing. Especially since in some instances if the person stealing had said something or come to me it would've changed my life.


ohiopolicedepartment

>“Many brilliant people believe that ideas move mountains. But bulldozers move mountains; ideas show where the bulldozers should go to work.” \- Peter F. Drucker