I have a project idea that i think is pretty good and think could actually be useful to people and fill a niche, but:
* Nobody close to me I mentioned it to seems really interested.
* I am not 100% sure it would actually work/be useful/generate revenue/...
* I work full time and don't really want to invest my week-ends developing an idea I'm not sure will catch on.
What's the best next step? How do I evaluate my idea's chances?
How can I get feedback without risking it getting stolen (very little chance but it would sting)
It sounds like you should not do it. Bootstrapping startups take commitment to use your free time. Raising money requires you show effort that would take up your free time. Worrying about having your idea stolen shows you haven’t spent much time learning about how this stuff works. Either dive in or go do something else.
Set up a very short timeframe and goal - let´s say, I´m going to make a prototype (or code feature X) this weekend.
Then show it here :) .
The risk of it "getting stolen" exists, of course.. but if you don´t do it it´s exactly the same. If you aren´t convinced, you think someone else will have the time and commitment to do it? Unless they were already planning on it.
My recommendation: go ahead and do it. Maybe you need some structured help, join a hackathon?
I have a project idea that i think is pretty good and think could actually be useful to people and fill a niche, but:
* Nobody close to me I mentioned it to seems really interested.
* I am not 100% sure it would actually work/be useful/generate revenue/...
* I work full time and don't really want to invest my week-ends developing an idea I'm not sure will catch on.
What's the best next step? How do I evaluate my idea's chances? How can I get feedback without risking it getting stolen (very little chance but it would sting)