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29 points interviewwtf | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.204s | source

Keeping this intentionally vague.

I interviewed with a series B company a couple of months ago. During the interview with the CTO I proposed a way that could effectively 3X their MAU. They were genuinely impressed by it, and stated they didn't think of that. Like it seemed natural, and I'm considered an expert in this field.

I ended up not getting the job, and not thinking much of it. Fast-forward a couple of months, and it's their new growth strategy. I got no credit for this, and not even a call back. Is there anything I can do?

1. pixelready ◴[] No.41874903[source]
Honestly, you will never truly know if they stole your idea, someone else at the company came up with it in parallel, or the scenario I’ve found to be most common with these things: they forgot it in the moment, then were brainstorming in a meeting later and the idea bubbled up in their mind without attribution as if it was their own, and they promptly latched on to it as proof of their own genius ;)

It stings, but unless you have standing and are prepared for the pain of a litigious stance, just take it as a compliment that the idea you came up with had merit and move on. Being possessive of your ideas is a recipe for misery, whether it’s morally justified or not. Reaching out to the company is unlikely to bear fruit if they’ve expressed no desire to have a relationship with you. C’est la vie.