Someone once told me that a start-up business is 10% idea and 90% execution. Whether that is scientific or otherwise, there are certainly many entrepreneurs out there that, like the infamous character Gollum in Lord of the Rings, prefer to hide away, deep underground, quietly polishing their idea and gazing upon it fondly.
While at the very beginning that isn't so much of a problem, there does come a time when, if you wish to succeed, your "precious" must be exposed to the harsh light of day and the scrutiny of others.
It isn't easy to take that step however. Entrepreneurs and start-ups will often worry about someone stealing their idea and delivering it before they do. Yet how likely is that to actually happen? After all, you have spent many months honing your concept, doing the research, talking to potential customers, running focus groups, developing a proof of concept, talking to lawyers, bankers, government funding sources, angel investors and so on. For a competitor, unless they have lots of money, time and resources available to them, then it is all work that has to be recreated to get to the same stage as you - by which time you will be even further ahead.
Certainly, do all you can to protect your concept. For example, get your lawyer to prepare a custom NDA for you rather than use something you found on the web; as much as possible get one signed prior to having a conversation with anyone. The value of an NDA can vary, but it is better to have it than not and demonstrates due diligence to those who care.
More importantly though is to demonstrate the value in you, your team AND your idea to potential partners and customers. If it is good, the combination will be hard for a competitor to replicate. And try to find relationships that create a barrier to entry for potential competitors.
But at the end of the day, you have to put yourself and your idea out there and be prepared for whatever comes next.
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