Look up the words "Investment", "Investor", and "Dividend". If people invest money in you, they want to get the money back, plus some...like a bank paying interest. If you don't like that, then you have two choices:

• Go to a bank with your great idea, get a loan, and make your millions. Be aware, though, that the bank will want THEIR money back too, with interest.
• Do it yourself with no outside funding.

Not any other options, are there? Aside from asking folks for handouts/gifts...and I'm curious: how much money have YOU given to others with good ideas, so THEY can realize their dreams??
Richard Stallman certainly isn't penniless, and most wealthy folks may not have experience TECHNICALLY, but they're not dolts. They made their money by being shrewd/clever/smart in SOME way. Otherwise, they wouldn't get (or KEEP), their money And since you obviously KNOW these 'millions of wealthy people (how else would you know they're 'cows'??), why don't you ask THEM to give you money for your great idea?
I think you don't need to be telling people what forums to contribute to. And when you post gems like this:
I don't think you can comment on anyone elses commitment to the open-source philosophy, when you're wanting to get paid for posting on LQ.

These things, too, will pass. Venture capitalists would see people like this every single day, if they did not hire very efficient gatekeepers to weed them out. Perhaps the world of those with money will never know what sort of grand opportunity they failed to seize ... but, somehow, I doubt it.

Capitalists never fund "ideas." They fund businesses, and in exchange for their money they obtain control ... which only makes sense because it is after all their money.

If you step back and look, look honestly, at any "grand idea" that became successful, you will notice two things: (1) that a lot of other people at the same time had the same idea; and (2) that the success or failure of the eventual enterprise was largely determined, not by the virtues of the idea, but by the fundamental characteristics of the company that was formed to attempt to exploit it. During the 1990's I worked for a lot of VC-funded companies. There was a lot of misplaced enthusiasm in those days, such that some of the capitalists lost their own ability to remain in the business of venture capital! Plenty of hard lessons were learned in those days by everyone concerned, including me.

If your idea is a good one, start here: develop it yourself, with not one red cent of 'venture' funding. If the idea is truly a good one, then that approach is possible ... it will merely take a little while longer, and along the way it will prove itself. It will prove itself with measurable, quantifiable business results that can withstand the brutal scrutiny that they will one day (you hope!!) undergo. It will prove itself to be a good bet.

OP, please understand that I am not mocking either you, or your idea. I wish you the best of success, and for some weird reason I am trying to help you. But your attitude appears, more than "just to me," to be both naive and confrontational ... and if you can't stand somebody saying that to you, well, don't ask anyone for any money. If you want to play a game, learn first how the game is played.

This is business. This is not a drill. Repeat: this is not a drill.

(1)
You could try TIE (The indus enterpreneurs). One of the founders is Kanwal Rekhi in whose name the IIT-Bombay school of IT functions. AFAIK their web site even has a flow chart on how to consolidate and present your ideas to them. They have chapters in all major cities of India and have regular meetings etc.

Tell us how you fare.

(2)
I partly agree with the OP.

Idea doesn't have to be new to qualify for funding. What you should have is a good market survey (with facts and not general assertions about growth in the segment you are interested in) and at least one committed client.

OK

Thanks for your wishes, sundial, I wish you the best too.

I think I'm signed up to their newsletter - the general impression I have of them is that they like to have "dos" at various 5-star hotels charging upwards of 4 figures to enter, and actually accomplish very little. If you have first hand experience of dealing with them, please let me know, otherwise or different.
I once saw the Lufthansa entrepreneurs thing on, I think, NDTV Profit, where they have a competition amongst various entrepreneurs to get funding, and imagesbazaar, the bloody STOCK PHOTO company won, over Fusion Charts, software to do, like pie charts and stuff on the web, which has some good *science* in it. So - my general impression of them is that they are incompetent fools, and I would have NO wish to put MY hard work in front of them, until that was the only, and I mean the LAST way out.

Dear OP,

Hard work is in the conception, plan, execution, standardisation (to achieve predictable results), follow up, meeting commitments (delivery), financing and not just about ideas - such as they are.

As far as TIE is concerned, seek a meeting with the individuals, tell them about your dilemma (not comfortable with the 4 digit dinners etc) and see where it gets you.

ALL THE BEST.

OK

Thanks AnanthaP.

Just out of curiosity, which city are you in?