# Ideas and Devoplment **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429 "2017-03-31T17:48:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/1 "2017-03-31T17:48:40Z")
I was just wondering if anything like I am about to describe is currently used or even feasible. Man has idea, he values idea at 1,000,000 points ( $1.00 per point) He offers qualified developer 100,000 points to develop company. The developer hires 4 program writers and a program director and offers them 50,000 points each. After 6 months program is going well, value of points goes to $5.00 Future contributors during development stage are offered amounts that correspond with current values. Basically just giving away shares of stock that might be worthless in exchange for services or expertise. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/2 "2017-03-31T17:52:14Z")
Man with idea gets 6 highly skilled employees to work for free for at least 6 months? ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/3 "2017-03-31T17:56:18Z")
This raises a lot of questions. What are these points? Is their value simply at the whim of one person? How are they redeemed? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/4 "2017-03-31T18:07:07Z")
There is [something similar to that](http://www.hollywoodlexicon.com/points.html) in Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/5 "2017-03-31T18:18:47Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > This raises a lot of questions. > What are these points? Is their value simply at the whim of one person? How are they redeemed? At the whim value of the guy with the idea and his ability to convince the people he needed the idea was viable. He might figure if his idea pans out it will create a $50,000,000 company. He sets the starting value at 1,000,000 points based on $1.00. He starts off with 100% of the shares and gives them a way for services rendered. It is up to him how he negotiates the points. He would also be giving up control as each point is 1 vote. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/6 "2017-03-31T19:05:08Z")
Yeah, it’s called “stock options.” ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/7 "2017-03-31T21:09:55Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Yeah, it’s called “stock options.” Exactly, but by calling things points instead of $ could the legalities be postponed until a project got serious. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/8 "2017-03-31T21:24:37Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Exactly, but by calling things points instead of $ could the legalities be postponed until a project got serious. Sure. Such hollow promises are made all the time. “I’ll give you half the company if you can get this software to work”. Later, “Sorry, where is the written contract I signed where I agreed to give you half the company?”. If you promise someone points you can pay them in points, even if it’s a written contract, there has to be a reasonable definition of points and their value in a contract or they’re worthless. Look into the story of Tesla and Edison. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/9 "2017-03-31T21:44:07Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sure. Such hollow promises are made all the time. “I’ll give you half the company if you can get this software to work”. Later, “Sorry, where is the written contract I signed where I agreed to give you half the company?”. If you promise someone points you can pay them in points, even if it’s a written contract, there has to be a reasonable definition of points and their value in a contract or they’re worthless. > > Look into the story of Tesla and Edison. ``` That makes sense. Could a condition of entering a collaboration web site include reasonable expectations of loyalty by all parties involved legally. ``` Suppose you had a web site that members from all different backgrounds joined. Writers, engineers, designers, computer programmers, marketers etc. The primary developer would open up his project for specialties needed. The specialists could bid and negotiate with the developer for points based on how they felt about the project. It might require 2 hours or 200 hours. They would negotiate points on how much they brought to the project. They would be free to work as many projects as they liked. A sticker would be how you would handle rejected work. Maybe a negotiated guarantee of points accepted or not. Contributors would all develop a track record that could was open to members to look at. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/10 "2017-03-31T21:48:59Z")
Still working on my collaboration novel. Entertaining the idea of adding some incentive besides personal achievement and social acceptance. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/11 "2017-03-31T22:14:04Z")
Isn’t this essentially just a business partnership? “I’ve got a great idea for a new business. If you help me develop it, I’ll give you ten percent of the business. We’re going to need five other people so we’ll give each of them five percent of the business.” ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/12 "2017-03-31T22:22:43Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Isn’t this essentially just a business partnership? > > “I’ve got a great idea for a new business. If you help me develop it, I’ll give you ten percent of the business. We’re going to need five other people so we’ll give each of them five percent of the business.” ``` This area I am not real clear on the legalities of. Very possibly it would be as simple as you say. Would you have to register with FTC if only points were involved? ``` ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2017, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ideas-and-devoplment/783429/13 "2017-04-01T09:42:04Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > This area I am not real clear on the legalities of. Very possibly it would be as simple as you say. Would you have to register with FTC if only points were involved? You don’t need to register with the FTC for a private company. And you can’t go public with an informal ownership division.