Do you validate your SaaS idea before sharing it publicly?

I keep seeing people on Reddit and X saying:

“Share what you’re building. Put your idea out there. Get feedback.”

And a lot of people actually do it.

But I have a hard time doing the same.

Because there’s always this thought:

What if I share the idea, someone thinks it’s good, and builds it before I do?

Then I feel stuck.

If I don’t share the idea, how do I know people actually want it?

If I share the full idea, how do I know I’m not making it easier for someone else to build it?

I’ve thought about:

• talking about the problem without revealing the solution
• DMing potential users privately
• showing different people different levels of the idea
• asking people I don’t know for feedback

But I’m still not sure what’s actually the best approach.

How do you validate your ideas?

And have you ever held back from getting feedback because you were worried about someone copying it?

I’m more interested in what you’ve actually done than the usual “just ship it” advice.

Author: PreferenceReal7081