by Alan | Dec 11, 2016 | Behaviors of success, Due diligence, Invention, Invention marketing companies, Prototypes, Research, Why inventors fail
Every day across America, across the globe, thousands of new inventors have their first aha moment: an idea for a new invention to solve an old problem. In March, 2002, I dreamed up an idea for a thin, flexible wallet to solve the ‘rump bump' problem. A flood of...
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 | Jul 12, 2015 | Career success, Creativity, Marketing, Patent Search, Patent strategy, Product development, Product success, Prototypes, Resourcefulness
Picture Thomas Edison, toiling away in the late evening hours trying one after another type of filament in his new invention to turn electricity not into heat, but into light. He just tried another filament that looked promising, but it burned in two and produced no...
by Alan | Mar 21, 2015 | Ideas, Invention, Keys to Success, Patent Search, Patents, Product validation, Prototypes, Resourcefulness, Why inventors succeed, Wiling to reconsider
New inventors often say to me, “I have an idea I think is great, now what do I do?” My most succinct answer is to do the following: Search: USPTO.gov, retail and online stores, catalogs Prototypes: Begin building prototypes of your invention Validate:...
by Alan | Jan 19, 2015 | Invention, Keys to Success, Prototypes
An idea is the beginning of an invention; a prototype is the beginning of a product. Prototypes are critical to success. Some inventors focus excessively on the initial idea and invention and too little on creating and refining prototypes. The first prototype can be...
by Alan | Aug 30, 2014 | Invention, Keys to Success, Product development, Prototypes, Strategy, Why inventors succeed
Many articles are written about licensing, manufacturing, patenting and other elements important to inventor success. To my experience, inventor success depends crucially upon partnering with and trusting others. Yet almost nothing is ever written about partnering and...