To Share or Not to Share? Protecting Trade Secrets is No Easy Task

It’s no secret that early stage startups face a lot of challenges, from finding team members to securing funding and everything in between. One less obvious but no less common challenge is how to get the necessary feedback on an idea without revealing any trade secrets. How do you successfully network when you’re afraid of revealing too much about your idea?

Zachary Williams has some useful insights. He moved his family from the U.S. to Israel to launch his last-mile delivery startup and joined the technology accelerator at the Bengis Center in March of 2019. At first, Williams found it difficult to communicate with the mentors and other participants to get their feedback, saying that startup culture “is in big part a head game.” Over time, he learned to let go, see his mentors as trusted advisors and “get out of the head game” to get fresh eyes on his potential business.

By the end of the accelerator, Williams saw the mentors and their advice as the most valuable aspect of his experience. He says the best advice he got was to forget about the solution and focus on the problem. If the solution doesn’t fit the problem as it pertains to others, then it is no solution at all. He explained that this allowed him to take a step back and focus on what the customers need.

So, in coming to Israel, Williams has gained an opportunity to bounce ideas off of those who have superior knowledge in the real world of startups, as well as the support of his mentors and peers. We can expect big things from Williams in the years to come.