And so the trick is to not just throw an idea out because it doesn't stand up to some immediate scrutiny, but to try and defend it just a little bit more than you would normally do.
I wouldn't say most good ideas start out bad, but most do start out with major weaknesses or gaps. This is why I emphasise in my essay the importance of writing down your ideas and thinking about them often. It may take years and lots of evolution before an idea becomes really good.
What I mean is that good ideas don't look like good ideas. The checklist you provide is a good way of validating them but even getting to the point were you want to validate them is a whole book worth.
That is why I am never afraid of sharing mine with anyone. If they are really good most people (including myself) wont see it and I would probably have to shovel it down their throats for them to even take them a little bit serious.
Yes there is so much more that could be written about this topic, but you have to stop somewhere.
As I mention in the essay I have never had an idea stolen, only the credit once proven. The only issue I have with telling people my ideas is that nobody is interested [1] - it is viewed as similar to talking about your children - nobody cares how smart/talented/funny/charming your children are and they most certainly don’t want to hear about them from you.
1. If anyone has any ideas that hit 10 or more on my list I am very interested in hearing about it, but I won’t promise to not steal it from you :)
And so the trick is to not just throw an idea out because it doesn't stand up to some immediate scrutiny, but to try and defend it just a little bit more than you would normally do.
Most great ideas start out as really bad ones.