Probet
A method to sell ideas.
So, you are an outsider, who has a great idea for COMPANY X? You would share the idea, if they would promise you to share the reward, but they don't have the basis to promise you the reward, because they don't know the idea... What do you do?
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A, you write a document where you lay out the 1) COURSE OF ACTION prescribed by the idea, and 2) EXPECTED OUTCOME of what you believe this course of action will bring about.
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B, you hide the COURSE OF ACTION, go and talk with COMPANY X about the EXPECTED OUTCOME, and if they like it, you ask what absolute amount of money, or what part of fortune they would be ready to share if this would happen today.
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C, you discount the amount of value retrospectively based on time value of money, so as to make the amount requested for EXPECTED OUTCOME appear reasonably smaller. *
If they like it, you simply ask them to respond with an e-mail signed with their private key, with the words AGREE, PLEASE REVEAL ME THE IDEA.
Then, you respond them with the idea, encrypted with their private key, and signed with yours. When time comes, you have the proof that you had shared the idea, and that certain part of the fortune belongs to you.
They promise, you bet -- a probet :)
Of course, you might want the reward to correlate with the percentage of the expected outcome that actually came true, so, you could detail that by adding expected events of the expected outcome in probability-descending order, and associate the fractions of the total expected reward, so as to make the payments or acquisitions of ownership incremental over time.
A probet may include a non-disclosure agreement, and ideally provides an idea with a course of action that is really the best possible thing to do, thus motivating the recipient to do it rather than something else.
Credits: Inyuki of HalfBakery.
