From whom to look for funds for the development of an IT startup?

Question

Startups

Good day to all.
I am writing with this question.
For a little over a year I have been generating and improving my idea, my future project, in which I have already invested a lot of effort and nerves. The idea came in March 2014, in December I wrote a detailed business plan to raise funds, talked to the right and smart people, assessed the situation on the market, in general, did everything to approach the main question "Where to get the money?".
It would seem that all kinds of business angels, investment funds, business incubators are just a dime a dozen, but the bottom line is that I am very worried about my idea. Perhaps you are now thinking, they say, what does he think of himself, or something like ideas are free and are in the air and nothing belongs to anyone until copyright is registered.
The bottom line is that, no matter how trite it may sound, but my idea is really unique in its kind, the shell is not unique, and the concept and functionality of the project are unique. And, if suddenly someone can realize it before me, I simply won’t be able to survive it. Perhaps you are now thinking, they say, dude, but you are probably the only one who thinks so and really imagines a lot about himself. I will answer that no, that everyone I dared to tell about this project (and these "someone" are not just guys from the yard) were simply delighted and expressed incredible support and are still interested in how things are going with me.
Back to the main part of my question. Well, everything is written, everything is ready, everything is formed and ready to break into the world. The stump is clear, money is needed, well, they assessed it through smart people, it came out to 3.5 million rubles. The amount is relatively small, but the project itself requires a very long work on itself, therefore, we need a patient investor who is ready to invest in the future. I am frankly afraid of business incubators, because, as far as I know, the idea there should be covered in wide circles, whose intentions are unknown to me.
What can you advise, where and to whom you can apply in order to minimize the risks of stealing an idea and at the same time receive the above amount for a long time?
Speaking directly to the idea itself, I can only reveal that a social network with functionality for the tourism community is planned. At the same time, the highlight of the project is not in the social network, but in its functionality and what it can give to its audience.
Do not judge strictly. Thank you.

Answer 1

Let them complain about me, but))
Vasya and Petya started writing the same product at the same time.
Vasya was “result-oriented” and immediately started writing shitty code without really thinking through the architecture.
And Petya developed the architecture for a month, made a convenient intuitive interface for a month, which Jony Ive would envy, then wrote tests for a month, then wrote the code itself for two months and got an ideal stable application.
But Vasya released the first version of the program a month later, albeit not ideal, albeit with bugs, but working, and began to sell it. A month later, he released the second version fixing the bugs of the first and adding new bugs. A month later, I hired two intelligent programmers using sales income, who shoveled the entire code in two months, finished the interface according to the wishes of users and released the third version of the program.
In total, after five months, Vasya had two employees, a bunch of clients and a tolerably working application that met the wishes of clients.
Petya had a licked application, unknown to anyone, a minus on the bank account and not a single client.
At the end of this fictitious example, we can say that six months later Vasya bought all of Petya's developments, took Petya on the staff as a tester, and drunk himself crashed on his brand new Tuareg.

Answer 2

you need to understand that you still have to tell your idea to investors before investing, and in great detail with numbers how much you need and how much potential profit and what it consists of specifically and for how long. and they can still refuse and do it without you (steal the idea, as you say).
+ Did you accurately calculate the money for advertising or just development? there, only another 5-10 million will be spent on advertising, this must be taken into account now. if you do without good advertising, then others will see and make a copy and launch advertising and it will not matter who did it first, because no one knows about you anyway.
without telling anyone - naturally it will not work to attract, as you understand. that is, either search and tell ... or do it on your own - make the first version, even for starters, without global scaling, for example - test it on it. having come with this version to investors, there will be much more chances for approval.

Answer 3

go here https://angel.co/ , choose with Russian roots (well, or not with Russian, as you wish), write / present
money will not be given until a) there is a working prototype b) there is at least one voluntarily paid client
t .e. money is given for further development (which does not prevent them from flashing), but not for taking off the incomprehensible

Answer 4

1. When you do not want to talk about your idea - this is an analogy with what is called secure through obscure. Google the terms and draw your own conclusions.
2. The best way to kill two birds with one stone is to make a prototype: investors will be more happy to look at real numbers and competitors, if they want to steal the idea, then you will still be already ahead.
No one really needs ideas, put up with it

Answer 5

Until an investor, business angel or fund fully understands your idea, no one will give you a dime. Therefore:
- Either dare and tell everything and paint it and have a chance to attract money
- Or do it according to the lean startup method, as Dmitry wrote.
1. It is unlikely that anyone will steal the idea. Nobody wants ideas. We need teams and people who can implement them. First of all, a project is a team. Not a patent, not an idea. Project == Team.
2. It's a lot of wasted time. You may or may not get results. Yes, it's hard to work without money. But the result can be good.
It is possible to achieve a good result and project development without money using the second methodology by attracting specialists and partners for a share in the project. But just performers.
In any case, in order to attract money to something, you need to :
- Fully tell and describe the idea
- Show how the project will earn money, and not just spend money
- Demonstrate the team
- Prove that the team will really achieve results

Answer 6

I agree. Ideas are weak, typical and strong.
If you have a really strong idea, then... no one will give you money. Until you have a team. Invest in People. I am writing this with complete confidence.
For the same reason - feel free to share your idea. She won't be stolen. Without your head, it (the idea) will generally lose value. And you will not assemble a team of like-minded people if you offer them to go with you
"I won't tell you where."