If you have a good Idea for a product you should acquire Protection. The question is when is the right time to do it ?In any case, until your idea is developed thoroughly enough to obtain a solid patent, always have an Intellectual Property Agreement or Non-Disclosure Statement for others to sign.
The patent safeguard, is considered solid only if it is based on a Working Prototype with basic engineering and testing. In the corporate world if a patent is acquired at all, it is usually after prototypes are obtained, but before trade shows are visited, and other forms of public advertising are utilized.