An idea for a startup, however, is only a beginning. A lot of would-be startup founders think the key to the whole process is the initial idea, and from that point all you have to do is execute. Venture capitalists know better. If you go to VC firms with a brilliant idea that you’ll tell them about if they sign a nondisclosure agreement, most will tell you to get lost. That shows how much a mere idea is worth.
How to Start a Startup (Paul Graham); In my time with MPowered and working with other students, I have noticed students, specifically undergraduates, fall into this line of thinking. Until recently, I too fell victim, but have been told otherwise by mentors. Here is another mention that no one owns an idea and that ideas are a dime a dozen.