Well, I think the word "idea" covers a vast range, everything from ideas that you come up with in the shower, to ideas you come up with after a decade of specializing in a specific domain, noticing unmet needs and figuring out how those needs can be met.
What is important to understand is that both types of ideas are useless to the layperson. The former is useless obviously because it hasn't been validated. The latter is also useless however because even if the layperson learns it, they won't have the knowledge and expertise to understand its value, much less know how to execute it.
This is why when someone comes to you and says "I have an idea, but you need to sign an NDA first before I can share it", you should just smile, nod and politely change the subject.
What is important to understand is that both types of ideas are useless to the layperson. The former is useless obviously because it hasn't been validated. The latter is also useless however because even if the layperson learns it, they won't have the knowledge and expertise to understand its value, much less know how to execute it.
This is why when someone comes to you and says "I have an idea, but you need to sign an NDA first before I can share it", you should just smile, nod and politely change the subject.