I still don't know how it can hurt to keep it a secret. Any assistance you could get taints the project's ownership, so it seems like you have nothing to gain by sharing and a lot to lose.
I still don't know how it can hurt to keep it a secret.
The article alludes to that, albeit from the company's point of view. The same principle applies to you.
If you ever want to sell your side project in the future, the buyer will put you through the wringer called "due diligence." If you were employed at XYZ Co. at the time you developed the IP being sold, part of the due-diligence process may require you to prove that XYZ Co. doesn't own the rights to it. If you kept it secret from XYZ, you won't have a signed waiver from them, so you won't be able to do that. Instead, you'll have to go back to XYZ Co., hat in hand, and ask them for a waiver now.
Sharing your side project and intentions with your employer satisfies "right of first refusal", which will become much more valuable to have brought up formally on the offchance emplyers attempt to sue for ownership.
Also, this formalizes standing on both sides; both parties will know more clearly where each stands.
Of course you may proceed without sharing, but might also end up losing more later. Calculated risk.
