Ask HN: what do you do with ideas you have no way of implementing yourself?

[Timothee]

Most likely, you have a lot of ideas all the time. Some are simple and you do something over a week-end, some are more complicated and you gather a couple of people, make a prototype and start a company, but some are just completely outside your reach.

It could be lack of time before an opportunity is closing, lack of capital (hard R&D necessary), lack of expertise… (though it all goes back to the same thing: time and money) but what do you do with these ideas that are too far out?

Find the right people? Put the idea out there and hope it gets picked up? Patent it and become a troll?

Also, do you have examples of things that you didn't know anything about but still pushed through to success?

Of course, one of the reasons I'm asking is that I've had a couple of ideas that I'd like to see come to life but don't quite have the means: one is a small hack for which the opportunity is likely to close before I could get to something by myself, and the other is a pretty big R&D thing that involves chemistry, optics and many other things that I know nothing about and can't just do from my couch. :)

So I'm curious about you do in these cases…

[aristus]

Just keep an ear out for someone who can do something about it. A lot of good projects happen when a few people come together with similar ideas in their back pockets.

[triviatise]

I keep my eye out for people who are interested in starting a company and offer to fund them. It is interesting how rare it is to find anyone who really wants to start a company. A lot of people say they want to but when given the chance, wont take the leap.

[Mz]

I tend to do one of two things: Keep it alive on some back burner forever and ever and ever while feeling like some loser who never accomplishes anything or do a quick google, discover someone else is already doing it and has put way more into it than I ever would and ditch it as a likely time-waster.

[wmboy]

Just because someone else is doing it shouldn't be a reason to ditch it. In fact, it could validate your idea as it proves there is a market and if your idea is better and your vision greater you could have a success on your hands (just look at Wufoo for a recent example).

On the other hand if your enthusiasm for the idea isn't high enough then you should go ahead and ditch it.

[bzupnick]

well, i think that a main aspect is definitely dedication. if you have to handle a full time job while doing this project, so be it it, you gotta live. but then every other second should be on this project. if that doesnt happen, then the project wont happen. another aspect, i think, is an awesome partner. going with PGs' philosophy of you almost always need a partner to succeed. but good luck =)

[vipivip]

Never give up, keep on trying, your aha moment will come.

[cjkundin]

I agree. Don't give up and try and bring anyone and everyone along for the ride. This doesn't mean make them a partner, but share your experience and don't be afraid to ask others for help. This will give you a network of other people with similar interests and yourself a reputation that will help down the lines. It will also give you a perspective on if you want to work with these people in the future or on your next project.