Sure, if an idea was entirely unique and revolutionary, but wanting to build the umpteenth CRM SaaS startup is not. Nobody in regards to technology ever pays anybody for ideas, they pay them for their ability to execute or sell/market those ideas. The "famous labs" you describe but don't name are _labs_, and the innovation that came out of them was a result of people with ideas and the ability to execute.

> The "famous labs" you describe but don't name are _labs_, and the innovation that came out of them was a result of people with ideas and the ability to execute.

and, crucially, extremely successful parent companies that could afford to throw millions at long shots that might not pay out for a decade.