One of the primary driving forces that bring inventions to light is the profit motive. While Hollywood and the media tend to glorify the selfless inventor, the truth is that many of the most basic technologies we have would not have come to pass without the incentive of selling it. Venture capitalist Paul Graham explains [...]
For most inventors, getting their invention sold on store shelves is the realization of a dream come true. Something they conceptualized and worked tirelessly to bring into being is now available before the eyes of a mass market. Their brainchild sits on shelves next to established and cherished products. What could be better than that? [...]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the governmental agency in charge of granting patents to inventors. As USPTO.gov states, For over 200 years, the basic role of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has remained the same: to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited [...]
Read about any successful inventor or businessman and you will inevitably notice something: a habit of decisiveness in all that they do. What is decisiveness, exactly? It is a word we often hear, but rarely define. In simplest terms, decisiveness is accepting the fact that you are in control of your own life. It is [...]
Raising money for your invention is an important step, and one that should not be taken lightly. Accepting money from outsiders often comes with strings attached. Therefore, it is important to A) Decide the absolute lowest amount of money you can work with, and B) take not a penny more. That said, there are several [...]
With all the false starts and do-overs that come with inventing something, it is easy to feel like the Rodney Dangerfield of inventing: like you get “no respect” from credible figures in your field. If investors are turning you down, business partners are flaking out, and you can’t even seem to get your calls returned, [...]
If you are the kind of person with a million ideas and not enough time to pursue them, you might want to consider “fast tracking” your invention to market. In this way, you essentially become a hired gun. You, the inventor, perform the tasks of researching and developing the product. Then, you “outsource” the manufacturing [...]