Here is a great list compiled by Inventors Digest for the basics of moving your idea out of your head and turning it into a product.  This list will help new inventors understand the basics of when to pursue a patent, what to watch out for with regard to invention services

Inventors Digest

1) Stay away from invention marketing companies that advertise on radio and late night TV. They’re out to fatten their wallets and empty yours!!!

There is no one stop shopping as far as invention development is concerned. Some invention marketing companies claim to be able to present any kind of product to industry, but that would mean they would have to be very knowledgeable about every industry. Successful invention marketers work in selected industries and have specific contacts in those industries. They have spent years building relationships with those inside corporations in specific industries.

A great source for the truth about invention services is IPWatchDog.  The site is put together by a patent attorney named Genn Quinn and in general offers a great resource to inventors.  Mr. Quinn has been such an out spoken detractor of the invention services one of the largest companies has actually taken Mr. Quinn to court.  I wish him luck with the legal battle.

2)Keep good records about your idea . . . some day they may be the back up you need to prove YOUR idea is YOURS!

If your idea of keeping notes about your invention means stuffing scraps of paper into a desk drawer, change your ways! Get a bound notebook and record in a professional manner everything you do with your invention. Record the name of every person you talk to, including the date and a brief recap of the conversation. Staple into the notebook receipts of materials youÕve purchased to build prototypes. Record ideas you have for other inventions so that you don’t forget them. Have a trusted friend witness your notebook periodically. Your notebook will become your invention diary that will be a very valuable tool as you develop your idea.

3.) Do your own patent search online at www.uspto.gov or at a Patent Depository Library. If you find that your invention is already patented, there’s no need to go to a patent attorney.

Just because you’ve never seen your product on the market doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist! It could be patented but not marketed. It could be on the market in another area of the country. It could be sold only through catalogs or specialty stores. Do a patent search — and an extensive market search — and really satisfy yourself that your product (or something better!) doesn’t already exist. Check specialty catalogs (there are thousands on the market) because many products are sold in catalogs and may never be sold in a retail store. Do an Internet search.

4.) Build a model. No need to get fancy at first. . . cardboard, white glue, balsa wood, off-the shelf parts. No matter how simple the idea, you have to prove it works.

It’s one thing to see something in your mind, but it’s quite another to hold it in your hands and work with it. There are very few products that can’t be improved. In fact, your idea is most likely an improvement on someone else’s product. So, build a model … then build another one. Work with it. Make it the best you can. Try to out invent yourself because once it’s on the market, you can be sure your competitors will try to improve on it!

5.) Have your invention evaluated by a non-biased professional (even if your Mom’s in the business, go to someone else!).

It may be nice to know that your friends and neighbors like your idea, but do they know anything about new product development? Do they know about manufacturing or how to price a product? Do they know about distribution channels? Do they know about designing a product with an eye to packaging and shipping? Do they think about product liability? Probably not. So don’t move forward based on comments from those who like you. You want to hear everything that’s wrong with your idea so you can make it better. Strengthen your ego and get a professional opinion. The nonprofit United Inventors Association offers an excellent invention evaluation. Give them a call at (585) 359-9310 or go to www.uiausa.org .

6.) Read all you can about new product development. Go to your local book store or library . . . others have gone before you. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

Most novice inventors have no idea where to begin and no one to guide them. They’ve probably never known someone who developed a new product from scratch, so the road ahead seems overwhelming. Take heart! There are many folks — just like you — who have taken an idea and turned it into a product. There is a tremendous amount of information available, so don’t strike out blindly. Educate yourself about the basics. By reading and learning, you’ll be creating a road map for yourself that you can use as you move forward with your idea.

7.) Network with other inventors. Join a local inventors’ organization.

Who can I trust? What do I do next? How do I find the help I need? Among the best people to answer these questions are those who have successfully marketed new products. There are nearly 100 nonprofit inventor organizations around the country. The members include inventors, lawyers, prototype makers and others who are in the field of new product development. You owe it to yourself to join a group so that when questions about a specific company or a specific problem come up, you’ll have someone you can trust to turn to for advice.

8.) If your patent search looked promising (see #3), make an appointment with a patent attorney, patent agent or professional patent searcher. Show him the results of your search and follow the advice.

Patent professionals are able to do a thorough search of the files of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as searching some international literature and patents. The patent search report that they give you should also have an opinion of patentability, which will tell you what they think your chances are of getting a patent. An attorney or agent’s charges for preparing and filing a patent application is several thousand dollars. There’s no sense paying all that money if a professional patent search will reveal that you have little chance of getting a patent.

9.) Do what you do well and hire pros to do the rest.

This seems like such obvious advice, but many people try to save money in areas they think don’t really matter. Some inventors can make excellent prototypes then they send them out to prospective licensees with handwritten, poor quality letters. Others can create wonderful brochures and letters and send them with terrible prototypes. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so don’t mess it up! Think about the things you do well and do them. Be honest about your weaknesses and get help.

10.) Don’t fall in love with your invention, but if you’re sure you’ve got a winner (see #5), hang in there! Even overnight successes take a while!

In invention, as in life, the key to success is most often perseverance. Inventors have to have thick skins and a lot of determination. For example, IBM experts told Chester Carlson that his invention wasn’t really needed because people had carbon paper. Carlson’s invention was the xerography process, and the company founded on his invention is Xerox.

Well, it is the end of week one and I will have to say that I have accomplished more and less than I expected. As I mentioned in my fist post I have already selected the idea that I want to pursue during this 30 day challenge but in hindsight I realize maybe I should have started with with a clean slate.

Why do I say that, well here is my thinking, I have been playing with ideas and evaluating them seriously for the past 6 months. Over the course of that time I realized something very important.

Here it is:

Lesson #1 – There is no Magic formula for selecting a successful product idea.

This may be obvious to some and less obvious to others but based on my experience it is one of the first Rules I would would add to my list. Though the Inventor’s Digest list seems to capture key areas to move you in the right direction the reality still exists that one could complete the entire list and still not end up with a successful product. So what is the answer?

“So I disagree with the followers of Marx and those of Adam Smith: the reason free markets work is because they allow people to be LUCKY, thanks to aggressive trial and error, not by giving rewards or “incentives” for skill. The strategy is, then to TINKER as much as possible and try to collect as many Black Swan opportunities as you can.”

(Emphasis Added)

-Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Quote from The Black Swan

The key is to take action, to try and to make mistakes, then try again. Rinse and Repeat. I know this sounds a bit of an over simplification but this is the reality. You may be the lucky one that hits your first idea out of the park and to you congratulations. For everyone else, it is a process, a process that rewards the work, rewards the sacrifice and pays those that stay the course.

That being said, this also assumes that you are on the correct path that you have selected the correct idea and that there is an opportunity at the end of the trail.



Two Steps to Launch a Product:

1. Research- Market, Patent, Other
2. Visit a Business Expert.

(Excerpt from How to License your Million Dollar Idea.)

As an engineer and designer, these steps are not the steps I would naturally take. Here is the list I would make if I were to right my list:

1. Create a Design, Create Drawings, Create a Prototype
2. Protect the IDEA at All costs
3. Determine the materials, Estimate Costs
4. Research- Market, Patent, Other
5. Find a Manufacturer, etc.

Can you see the problem with my original list? As I review my previous approach, I realize that this loop is one that is easy to get caught in, and difficult to get off. So as I take on this new project, I am changing my perspective towards my previous methods. I am shedding my engineering approach and transitioning to sales person, stay tuned to see how it goes.  But first will share with you my process associated with Step #1 : Research.

There are few people I follow as closely as I follow Tom Peters, I am not sure if it his frequent use of the (!) or if it is just that I appreciate his straight forward tone. Maybe both.

Here is a link to a pdf that Tom Peter’s and a group of creative “Thinkers” put together to help provide some direction. What is interesting, it seems once again that things have come full circle.

Well, today is the day. Today I stop looking back and stop making excuses and push forward.

Today is the day!

For sometime I have been working to try and move several of my product ideas forward. Well, I will delay no more. No more excuses. Today is the time to Act.

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.”
- Karen Lamb

So here is what I am proposing. I have an idea ( I will share it as soon as I can) and I want to licenses the idea to a manufacturer and create a successful product, that is my goal.

The question now is why should you care? And that is a fair question. Here is my answer and my promise. Along my journey to develop this idea I will document my process and share those tools with you. So from how to capture the idea in an inventors notebook, recorded a simple invention disclosure or templates for patents and patent drawings. I will share what I create and hopefully it will help you achieve your own personal success.

The next question, why listen to me? Another good question. Well first of all I will explain my motivation and my experience and maybe that will help you understand where I am coming form. First of all, I have been inventing my whole life. From when I was young I have had many ideas, maybe too many ideas. So to channel this energy I went into engineering, it was a good fit. Over the past 10 years I have developed many ideas, and have 25+ patents that I have developed for the companies that I have worked for. I have enjoyed that experience and continue to work to help my current customers continue to advance their technology. But there is a subtle difference in developing other peoples ideas (or products) and taking your own inspiration and carrying it forward, to completion. This is the path that I am on, I have had the ideas, I have solved the problems, now I want to take things to the next step and push these ideas into products.

Over the next week I will continue to layout the plan for the next 30 Day, detailing my activities moving my ideas to product.

Stay Tuned for Day 2

-DMS

The other day I had a great opportunity to pitch one of my latest ideas to a well respected VC. It was a great opportunity but lets just say it did not go as well as I hoped. If you are an entrepreneur your vision of these conversations may mirror mine, you make the pitch and everyone in the room is awe struck and they beat a path to invest in your idea! As with many things it seems, these experiences are rarely so clear or so direct! Maybe it is my own naivete and overly optimistic perspective, either way, it is clear that the path from conception to product/business is rarely linear. Which I guess explains why so many people want to turn their ideas into MILLIONS, but often do not get off of first base. Again, this is a very broad topic and certainly something we can discuss in more detail in the days and weeks ahead. The thing that I am interested in today is a single statement that the VC made to me about my idea. His statement was this, look at your idea from the costumer back towards the solution, do not look at your idea from solution out to the costumer. At first I was almost offended by this comment (not really, but it may have just nicked my pride), because I feel like I always think about the costumer when I consider a new idea or product. But as I contemplated his comment it the days following our conversation it was clear he was right. What was interesting was that he was not only right about this idea, but he was right (without knowing it) about a number of the product ideas that I have been working on. Can anyone say OUCH! Now my pride was just not nicked but had taken a full body blow!!!

So as I try to work though my new idea I realized I better try and understand the two different development perspectives, customer-to-product or product-to-customer? And more importantly, when do you use each type of perspective, is there a case where you use one or the other?

As an engineer I realized that I often come from the perspective that given a problem, I can find a solution. And to a large degree this is a true statement, however I realize that just because we have a solution does not necessarily mean we have a product. So, in a sense we have to go back to a bit of Business/Marketing 101.

Essentially, the purpose of marketing is to facilitate the exchange process, to assist with the buy and sell activity in such a way as to make selling almost unnecessary. For this discussion it is more important to define how that applies down the chain, specifically to the activities surrounding innovation, invention and early stage development.

1) What problem are you solving?
Often this is a very simple definition to create, on that is at the genesis of your product. Though the initial definition may be almost self explanatory, this is a point to pause and dig deeper. Why, you ask, I already have a definition, I have already solved the problem. Well, the primary reason for digging deeper on all of these questions is to get to the real answer, instead of superficial answers which do not lie at the heart of the problem and as such do not truly address the solution. The other important part of challenging the problem-solution statement is to challenge the assumptions that the relationship is founded on.

Albert Einstein
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

This is an important first step, as engineers, inventors and the like we all have a tenancy to become myopic when the solution comes into view. Though this is inevitable, it is important to understand the range of these definitions and to challenge the limits of this assumptions and how broadly we can apply them to our target audience, also known as our costumer.

2)What is your competitive advantage? What is your angle?
Another important aspect of solving problems is how have other products ideas solved the problem. Again, there will be obvious competitors, unless you are very lucky and have come up with a totally unique idea. But again, here is an opportunity to exercise a bit of caution. Though on the surface it appears that your solution may be unique, more than likely it is not completely unique and and you must work to understand where the distinction lie.

One way to start this process is to define what attributes your idea needs to be workable. This is a list of characteristics which your idea require to make it effective at solving the problem. As you make this list continue to refine your understanding of how the product or idea will be used and why this approach is better than those approaches that currently exist.

It is also important to get out and look in new places to find potential competitive products. It is common to use the internet or just “Google it”. That being said, there are other sources which are very fruitful research sources.

There is no single source to look for ideas or competitive products, in essence this is part of the process of “testing” your idea. Taking this fresh, newly conceived idea and exposing it to the light of reality and the real competitive landscape is all part of the process. All ideas are perfect, in our minds, the key is to release them, slowly, methodically testing them against the real demands of the customer.

3) Who is your costumer?
This is where things get interesting, so often we convince ourselves our ideas are viable and interesting, with a single point test. We ask ourselves simple questions like, “would I buy this widget, this machine or this service?” inevitably the answer comes back “Hell Yes! Which does not sunrise anyone, does it? Of course not, but often times this is as far as many new inventors get before claiming their new idea a striking success. Some brave souls, go as far as to consult a group of experts, also know as friends, family, etc. Not that these people might occasionally provide some useful input or guidance, it is not realistic to consider these any form of market research. So the question remains, how do you define your customer and how do you know that you have viable idea on your hands.

The key is to step outside of the mind frame you had when you created the idea and look at your idea with a fresh perspective. This means casting off not only your personal biases, but also all of the other things that slant your perspective. Try and be as unbiased as possible. One way to try and better define this customer is to create your perfect customer, here are a few suggestions: Where do they buy your product? How old is your perfect customer, marital status, kids? Try to dig into the details of this persons life, if it is a household product, what else do they have in the cupboard right next to yours, etc.

4)What will they Actually pay?

In reality this is the final question and actually all the questions that we have answered previously support this question. In essence if you have done your homework in the above areas this question will become simpler to answer. There is another component which does enter into the equations however and that is the price. Based on the previous work, we have found our niche, identified a usefulness that someone would be interested in, defined that person, which might also include some understanding of their spending habits but that does not give us a price. The price is basically made up of two halves of an equations. The first half is simple, what does your product cost? You have your manufacturing costs, marketing cost, etc. that makes up the “cost” of your product. But there is another variable, your margin, how much above that cost can you go. Too high and people won’t purchase your product and too low you will run your new business into the ground. There is basically a sweet spot which lie at the cross roads of those two paths, that is where you need to place your product. If this crossroads matches the costumers perception of the actual value you have a winner, you have not found that point, there will be pressure to make adjustments to compensate. Though these compensations are necessary, it is also time to be careful, These adjustments can have profound impact on the customers perception and can have far reaching consequences.

5) Do you have the resources available to make this happen?

This is where the rubber hits the road, the point at which you push all of your chips to black and spin the wheel to see if your idea can make it. I think one of the real keys for early stage inventors is to no go ‘all’ in too soon or with too much fervor. If you have done your research, done the work up front, then it will be a much easier step to make. But regardless of how much work, how many plans have been laid you have to push in at some point. If you do not take that risk you will never know.
As one of my favorites sages so aptly stated,

“Do or Do Not, there is no Try!”, Yoda,

and in a sense his advice can be applied to invention and to innovation. No amount of planning, or preparation guarantees success and too a certain degree, not knowing what is or is not possible can be a huge assistance in removing the mental barriers that others might possess. The key is to ACT, to do your homework but not to become paralyzed by the process, you must keep moving forward. If you have a unique idea, you will know you are on the right path. If you find your self stuck in this step, you may be addicted to brain crack, if so jump over to 5 steps to kick brain crack addiction.

Are you a Brain Crack addict? Do you think you might be an addict and don’t know? Are you a full blown junkie and looking to kick the brain crack habit? Well whatever category you fit in you are not alone. Personally, I know that I fit into the category of enlightened addict, I know I am addicted and I know I need to quit and I am making small steps to kick the habit and I hope these steps help you kick the habit as well.

But before we dig into the solutions what is brain crack? In my opinion brain crack is know by several terms, being in your own head, “wannabepreneur“, risk adverse…and a variety of other terms. Brian crack can be broken down to it’s simplest form to be holding ideas in your head without putting them into action. This holding of the ideas creating some sense of comfort or progression, while in essence creating nothing more than a false sense of productivity. This is what fellow blogger zefrank has to say about brain crack (Warning: The video contains some NSFW language at the 1:30 mark, but the first 1:30 makes it worth a watch.) Thanks for the song Ze.

Because with out the next step of some physical action the loop of great, world changing ideas continue to be puffed up into the greatest ideas the world has never seen. This idea holding thoughts can be of several types, planning to exercise, planning to change jobs, planning to turn a new idea into a product, etc. All of these things are not bad activities the problem stems from the planning activities continuing on a perpetual basis. Each time we let ourselves get wrapped up in just the planning activities they do not lead us to the next stages (generally the riskier ones). And it is these loops that I would like to address.

5-S teps to Kick a Brain-Crack Addiction:

1) Get it ALL Out…and Down!

As simple as this step sounds this provides the the required brain cleanse allowing you to empty your thoughts completely of all the various ideas, tasks or hurdles. This step basically provides two basic functions, one is to clean and capture. The first part, Clean, allows your mind to be empty subsequently allowing more focus and a further ability to handle new challenges and to accept new opportunities. This step out of all the steps should be the simplest due to the sheer fact that there is very little personal risk involved, unlike the remaining 4 steps. So now that we have got it all out, lets take a look at the next step.

2) Take Action!
One of my favorite quotes by Tom Peters is:

Ready Fire Aim

I love this quote for so many reasons but mostly for the simplicity, as you dig down however there are several lessons to be learned. First, be ready, which to me means to be prepared. More specifically, whatever your path, prepare for success, stay up to date in your industry, keep your skill currents and know as much as you can about the path your are about to embark on. For example, I am working on releasing a new kids toy, so I am in the process of becoming an expert on the toy industry and what it takes to bring a toy to the market. But that is my path, for you it might be to lose weight, or to change a bad habit, learn everything you can about those paths, it will help you in the next step which is to Fire. Though fire might sound like an easy step it is having to fire without ever aiming that takes the guts and preparation. The other interesting part of this process is that people often get stuck at this point in a type of analysis paralysis. Trying too hard to workout every detail and every possible scenario, this is where the process seems to get hung up for most of us. We wait for every possible bit of info, so that we do not make any “mistakes”. In reality however, or lack of action is exactly is the source of all of the problems. I am not suggesting that we run out and try to fly, what I am saying if you want to fly, build some wings, strap them on and jump! (maybe not off of a bridge, but the roof or better yet the deck…the important part is to JUMP).

3) One Small Step…

The other key to success is after you make that first jump to continue to push forward, one small step at a time. Just like the lunar landing, preparation is key, planning is important but once you jump (blast off in a rocket), your job is still not finished until you take that first step out of the lunar lander. Though the jump can be one of the most anxious moments, for others the first step can induce similar reactions causing people to reconsider or hesitate. As you can imagine hesitation at this point induces failure! But if you do take that first step now you have options, options to make new choices and to make course corrections which push you closer and closer to your goal.

4) Put it on a Shelf, or in a Box!

It is possible that after you have put it all on the line that your project or self improvement will not proceed to the desired results, that is just a fact of life. It is possible to do everything right and still not find success, does that mean you quit? Of course not! So what do you do next? The next step, like with the first step, you need to finalize the project. It is important to finalize the project so that you can focus your attention on the next project unimpeded by the results, failures or successes, of the previous ones. This step like the initial step helps keep our mind empty of baggage and focused on moving forward. The other important part of this step is to celebrate our successes and to honor our defeats and the lessons learned. I personally review examples of each to help me jump start new projects.

5) Rinse and Repeat

With a few successes under your belt you have to keep pushing. Building on small or large successes and being vigilant to incorporate successful tools and experiences into each new project. We have all heard of one hit wonders or people who’s results do not last. The primary reasons for this lack of success is abandoning the things that made them successful in the first place. Do not let that happen to you, find your focus, stay the course, make adjustments as necessary and enjoy the ride.

One Last Note: Why do we stay addicted?

One of the main reasons we stay addicted to brain crack is that we enjoy playing with ideas and just that action makes us feel like we are doing something to change our situation. Let me be blunt, because I have had to have this same blunt conversation with myself, until your ideas are out of your head they are useless. Unless you share your ideas, talents or take action on your plans they are useless, get out, talk with people, make plans, take action and keep me posted on your results!

(Post from www.davidskinlo.com Dec 21st, 2009)