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 trust, so:
Today’s topic: Inventor Success: Partnership and Trust
Inventors are good at conceiving new ideas and shepherding them forward. Typically inventors can do these two steps on their own.
Success over the long term, however, requires inventors to partner with a variety of people including patent attorneys, prototyping resources, marketing resources and others. Each partnership brings its own benefits and challenges; working successfully with partners requires building a relationship of trust.
Patent attorneys consult with inventors to craft applications that give the best possible chance for patent allowance and issuance. Inventors must trust the judgment of the attorneys and partner with them effectively.
Prototypers often recommend refinements to the design or suggest using different materials. Consequently, the emerging product is typically a bit different from the inventor’s initial vision. Product ease of use for consumers is almost always enhanced in the process.
Marketing resources, including companies that might license products, often recommend changes to packaging, product features, pricing, and other elements. Here again, the inventor must be open minded and willing to compromise as needed to move the product forward. A product with attractive packaging, easily understood features and competitive pricing has much better chances of success in the marketplace.
The bottom line is that the inventor begins with a vision of the design, features and construction of the product; but the final product is never the same as the initial vision. Every successful new invention evolves from the collaborative efforts of a team with differing and sometimes conflictive visions and ideas.
Stay tuned!