I have been reading a few articles recently that are advising people not be so secretive with their business ideas. They advise sharing ideas with as many people as you can to get feedback, advice and to give you the chance to hone your elevator pitch. I think that this has merit BUT it also has the ability to cause confusion and procrastination.

If you have an idea that you really believe in, then the hardest part of making your idea a reality is the execution. If you ask too many people for feedback, you will get too many opinions and you may get overwhelmed or dismayed. For example take a look at the following:

• A site to broadcast updates only up to 140 characters (Twitter)
• A website where anyone can update the definitions of anything (Wikipedia)
• A place to upload your videos of anything (YouTube)

None of those propositions sounded compelling to me when I first heard about them, but the results speak for themselves.

I do think that it is a good idea to talk about your idea, but start with close friends and family until you have perfected your pitch. Then move onto sharing your idea with the actual customers you are targeting, it is their opinion that counts the most.