by Alan | Mar 25, 2017 | Attitude, Behaviors of success, Benefits are easily demonstrated, Criticism, Critiquing ideas, Dealing with rejection, Disappointments, DRTV, Invention, Paths for your product, QVC, Sell on TV, Strategy, Turning setbacks into success
For over fourteen years, I made a living, first part-time and now full-time, from creative endeavors, most especially, inventing. It took me a few years to realize that many of foundational values of the corporate world, don't work well at all in the inventing,...
by Alan | May 8, 2016 | Critiquing ideas, Disappointments, Invention, Keys to Success, Myth of easy success, resilience, Setbacks, Wow factor
Inventors always are searching for new product ideas; and always seek the elusive secret to inventing success. Spoiler alert: there is not a secret to inventing success. Success comes from practicing a combination of many behaviors consistently over time. I separate...
by Alan | Dec 19, 2015 | Career success, Critiquing ideas, Culling ideas, Invention, Invention failure, Patent Search, Patent strategy, Patents, Product development, Product success, Prototypes
You have an idea for a great new product. Now what? What you choose to do next is key to your success (or lack of it). Here are your first three steps: Do your own free patent search on uspto.gov – the US Patent Office website Search everywhere for similar...
by Alan | Sep 7, 2015 | Benefits are easily demonstrated, Critiquing ideas, Licensing, Patents, Paths for your product, Product success, Profitability, Strategy, Why inventors succeed
IYou've just come up with a brainstorm, a million dollar idea! Why hasn't anyone thought of it before? It is so simple, but everyone will want to buy it! All you have to do is just get it out there and you'll be a millionaire! Ah, if it was only that simple. Do you...
by Alan | Jan 29, 2015 | Critiquing ideas, Crowd funding, Culling ideas, Financing an invention, Ideas, Invention, Keys to Success
Many new inventors suffer from a common malady: Too Many Ideas – Too Few Products I have touched on the subject in a variety of ways in prior posts. In essence, the problem is that many inventors approach inventing and product development more like a hobby than...
by Alan | Nov 26, 2014 | Critiquing ideas, Ideas, Invention, Invention failure, Keys to Success, Licensing, Strategy, Why inventors succeed
Success Percentages are Always Disappointing Let's face it, success percentages in difficult endeavors are always disappointing, typically less than 50%, often much less than 50%. In Freshman orientation for engineers, we were told only 1 in 3 of us would graduate...