by Alan | Jul 4, 2017 | Invention, Keys to Success, Leverage, Licensing, Make the best deal you can, Manufacturing in China, Marketing, Profitability, Royalty rates, Shark Tank
Everyone has seen a Shark Tank episode where an offer was dramatically canceled, at the last moment. In almost every case, the inventor became a bit too greedy or unwilling to compromise, causing the shark to rescind an otherwise potentially lucrative deal. What a...
by Alan | May 3, 2017 | Career choices, Creativity, Ideas, Innovation, Invention, Licensing, Marketing, Patents, Setbacks
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost The above poem,one of the most oft quoted from poet Robert Frost, resonates with millions more than 100 years after it was written. Inventing...
by Alan | Oct 2, 2016 | Ideas, Importing, Invention, Licensing, Manufacturing in China, Marketing, Patent Search, Patents, Paths for your product
I thought it might be nice to post a variety of common questions that inventors ask and my answers. My answers are, of course, just that: my answers. Other inventors may, no doubt, have different answers than I do. Here are the Q & A's, in no particular order....
by Alan | Jul 31, 2016 | Dealing with rejection, Invention, Invention failure, Marketing, Paths for your product, Product success, QVC, resilience, Sell on TV, Setbacks
I hesitated to write this particular blog post. I knew lots of readers would roll their eyes and say to themselves, “oh boy, another tawdry tale about failing in the process of success.” I know. But, honestly, I had to write this post. Why? Three reasons:...
by Alan | Feb 19, 2016 | Annoying problems, Benefits are easily demonstrated, Invention, Marketing, Patent strategy, Patents, Problem-solvers, Product success, Wow factor
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost Patent, Prototypes, and Packaging Much of inventing and the creative process is intangible: will consumers really understand my product and its...
by Alan | Feb 4, 2016 | Creativity, Focus, Ideas, Innovation, Invention, Marketing, Problem-solvers, Surveys, Why inventors fail, Why inventors succeed
The Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (disentangling an “impossible” knot) solved easily by loophole or “thinking outside the box”...
