The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Any sex-toy developers? A long-shot I'm sure...

Rearden

Inventor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
257%
Aug 24, 2017
68
175
40
Michigan
I agree with @Vigilante you need to be all in on it!

I have had students license in this category so it is possible.

I have seen people go and pitch their product to potential licensees, gotten feedback from the market and improved the product to where it needed to be to get a deal.

On Fiverr I don't necessarily go after the designers with a ton of reviews I use the ones with 24turnaroundund. You can get wrapped up with a designer with 7 day turn around and it can take you a month to get a sell sheet.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

Roli

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
160%
Jun 3, 2015
2,061
3,301
One of them was a toilet seat that you step on a lever on the ground (like an automatic garbage can lid raiser)
Great idea! I'd install it, though I'm imagining it will cost a lot more than a normal toilet seat.

Had your relative done any work on it? Or was this just a case of, make me rich with my idea?

How do I do that? Just post updates here? Probably a dumb question...

Well see if this is something you're going to run with. Just keep posting updates here, and then once it is obviously a progress threads, you can get one of the mods to turn it into one, either by asking directly, or messaging them via 'contact us'.

I really want you to succeed at this, because I just have to know what it is! :)
 

Vigilante

Legendary Contributor
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
596%
Oct 31, 2011
11,116
66,265
Gulf Coast
Great idea! I'd install it, though I'm imagining it will cost a lot more than a normal toilet seat.

Had your relative done any work on it? Or was this just a case of, make me rich with my idea?



Well see if this is something you're going to run with. Just keep posting updates here, and then once it is obviously a progress threads, you can get one of the mods to turn it into one, either by asking directly, or messaging them via 'contact us'.

I really want you to succeed at this, because I just have to know what it is! :)

You can have it if you want it. This was 10x years ago. And no, action fakers never take action.
 

Roli

Platinum Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
160%
Jun 3, 2015
2,061
3,301
You can have it if you want it. This was 10x years ago. And no, action fakers never take action.

Ha! Yeah I don't think I'd take it on, it sounds like a whole toilet redesign and the only people who'd buy it is fellow OCDers like myself and public venues.

I'd imagine venues want to spend as little as possible on toilets...

Plus of course, the Japanese have probably already come up with a novel solution :-D
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

rpeck90

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
442%
Nov 26, 2016
317
1,401
34
United Kingdom
I have done about 20 license deals over the years (maybe less, I didn't count). But, here's what I think :

1. You are in an unbranded category
2. There are very few companies that would be license candidates
3. They all probably have 100 products on the drawing board that they haven't built yet
4. There is little barrier to entry into generic products in this field
5. You talked with someone in the space, that knows more than you and I do, that makes money mentoring, and he wouldn't take you on

Here's my takeaway. This isn't going to license.

So, copy his roadmap. Croudfund the startup.

A lot of people look at licensing as a shortcut to riches. Someone will take my idea, run with it, and send me money every month.

Does that happen? Yes. Does lightning strike? Yes. Are there about a MILLION sex toy ideas people have that have never been manufactured? Yes.

I don't think you are going to license it. Here's where my OPPOSITION to my license thread comes in. Everyone's got an idea, and not everyone is capable of making it happen.

I have had relatives over the years bounce their ideas by me. One of them was a toilet seat that you step on a lever on the ground (like an automatic garbage can lid raiser). The guy wanted me to take his idea, run with it, and when I made millions on his brilliance, give him millions. His share.

Here's where the rubber (pardon the pun) meets the road. Nobody cares. You are in a tough category to ever get anyone to care, and you might spend two years trying to find someone to care and never find it.

So what do you do? Go around the obstacle. Go over it, go under it. Door closes, find a window. You CAN do it. I just don't think it is going to be a license deal. The license deals I have had were all natural fits. They all paired a perfect brand with a perfect product. NONE of them were "I have this idea... now I want someone else to make it happen and pay me."

Everyone has ideas. Everyone has a sketch on the back of a napkin. The difference between Sarah Blakely and you? She DID IT. She thought she had a better solution, so she brought it to market. Now she's a guest shark on shark tank.

If you believe this product is an answer to a problem, then bring it to market AND THEN someone will pay you for it. One concern I have for you is you know about zero about the industry you are embarking in. Spend some time as a student of the industry first, and really study product trends, marketing trends, manufacturing, and market share. Then and only then would you be ready to really invest your time and money into something as complicated as what you have on the table in front of you.

My .2 cents. Take it for what it is worth. Do I think you could do it? Yes. Do I think you will do it? Mmmmm... not sure yet.

I didn't want to p*ss on your parade so held back from posting.

Since Dave (@Vigilante) is the real deal (someone I vehemently respect), and since he iterated some of my own reservations, I'll give you some insight that took me a long time to find out (and no, I'm not successful - but I've done products before).

The problem you're quickly going to discover is when you exit the honeymoon period (and this may actually be harder for you because you're female), you're going to wake up with boxes of prototypes, products and other stuff... with very few people wanting to buy them.

I'm not saying your idea / product / whatever isn't going to fly. On the contrary, I would implore you to try it just to [potentially] get egg on your face early on... but I wouldn't bank on it creating a pot of generational wealth (I don't know you or your intentions, but as this is an entrepreneurship forum, I have to imagine your aspiration is to earn decent money).

You seem to have fallen into a trap which I have fallen into myself - putting the product first. The product is obviously important, but why the product exists is moreso. Every product has a "value" that exists beyond the nuts-and-bolts. I call it the "offer" but it's really the "USP" (Unique Selling Point). Every product is purchased because it has a unique "thing" that is better than the other guy's. MJ calls it the "value skew"; there are tons of ways to describe it...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr_sj4Cq6GM

The point is that from what you've posted on here, you're still in the phase of "oh shit, I made something - look at it!!". This is absolutely fine. But when it comes to making paper, you have to get into the mind of the consumer. If it's a choice between your sex toy and some other thing... why is your sex toy going to win? What's the underlying reason why they need your toy in their lives?

If you can't answer that, it's highly likely your product will be a dud. And no, I'm not being a pessimist. I'm being pragmatic. You have to fail in order to succeed; I've indulged in my fair share of the success sniffing salts where everybody circle jerks to Tony Robbins. Brutal reality (and why some people are perpetually successful) is that you have to be real sometimes. So I'll be real here...

The trick to building a perpetually successful "business" (NOT a product... a business) is to focus on the service you provide. The real secret to getting people to buy stuff from you is to focus on the thing that you actually "do" beyond the product.

I'm in software. I never tell people I'm a software developer - I just do stuff and show them. I ended up doing software because I've been glued to a computer screen since I was 13 years old. I'm not a typical nerd, but I got infatuated with it for some reason.

When I talk to people in a professional setting, I'm able to break down their entire digital stack and tell them what's good and what should be ditched. Many others can do that... but I have a trick. I know marketing. I love marketing. The reason I don't tell people I'm a software guy is because I tell them I'm a marketeer. And it's true... I am a marketeer... except rather than being a "Google SEO expert", I'm able to build out a "Google" and all the other technical services that make up the modern media mix.

Take from this what you will; I'm trying to say that what you "see" from a business (a product that's wildly successful) is not dependent on its existence, but its necessity. You've never considered the huge infrastructure required to run Google, but it's there... and people are paid very well to maintain + improve it.

*EVERY* successful product I've observed came from an underlying "need" from the market. This is somewhat cliche on this forum (it's one of MJ's core principles), but it's true. Every time I tried to change the need, I failed. When I worked around the need, everything started to work well.

It's the same with every product. Buyers want what it's able to deliver.... but they want it to be bigger, better, faster, cheaper, better looking than the other guy's. This is where your opportunity lies → what does your toy do that others don't? If I shove it up my a$$ is it going to make me hallucinate? Is it for couples? Is it for elderly folks?

Consider this:
Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex? – The Atlantic – Medium

This is an example of a need.

Kids today aren't F*cking. Great! You may say (I remember when teen pregnancy was the major taboo)... but the question is why? This is the type of thing that determines how a market may take to a product; particularly this line:
From 1992 to 2014, the share of American men who reported masturbating in a given week doubled, to 54 percent, and the share of women more than tripled, to 26 percent.
Means nothing on its own, but is highly suggestive of the cultural move towards _____ ?

Whatever the _____ is, is your opportunity.
If you believe this product is an answer to a problem, then bring it to market AND THEN someone will pay you for it. One concern I have for you is you know about zero about the industry you are embarking in. Spend some time as a student of the industry first, and really study product trends, marketing trends, manufacturing, and market share. Then and only then would you be ready to really invest your time and money into something as complicated as what you have on the table in front of you.

This is the most important part of this whole thread. Business is brutal. Where money is involved, the shroud of civility falls away and primal instincts reign. You're still a novice (which is great) but don't be tempted into thinking you know more than you do. 99.9% of the people giving you advice have no business of their own and the ones who do will not reply on here anyway.

The likelihood is you won't strike it lucky first time. That's okay... but don't be surprised if you go through hell to make something you want and no-one cares. This is why many women are unable to handle this type of stuff (many do, but the majority don't). The feminine ideal of everybody having their own unique value just because they survived birth doesn't work in the real world.

-

I would personally treat what you're doing as a "project" (a step above a hobby) in order to learn about product development.

I would allocate a budget of $1.5k-$3k to get it to prototype stage. Don't do crowdfunding because you need a prototype designed to get it funded. What you're doing isn't a "business" because you don't know how you're going to market it (unless you can legit tell someone to stick the toy somewhere and it will give them the best orgasm they've ever had); there's no underlying "service" you provide beyond the product itself (hence the licensing assertion).

I hope this doesn't bring you down too much, but it's shit like this - practical but realistic insight - that I wish I'd looked at back in the day. Again - I would definitely implore you to do something, but as Dave (@Vigilante) has mentioned - I would treat it as part of a learning process rather than a money-maker.
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
I didn't want to p*ss on your parade so held back from posting.

Since Dave (@Vigilante) is the real deal (someone I vehemently respect), and since he iterated some of my own reservations, I'll give you some insight that took me a long time to find out (and no, I'm not successful - but I've done products before).

The problem you're quickly going to discover is when you exit the honeymoon period (and this may actually be harder for you because you're female), you're going to wake up with boxes of prototypes, products and other stuff... with very few people wanting to buy them.

I'm not saying your idea / product / whatever isn't going to fly. On the contrary, I would implore you to try it just to [potentially] get egg on your face early on... but I wouldn't bank on it creating a pot of generational wealth (I don't know you or your intentions, but as this is an entrepreneurship forum, I have to imagine your aspiration is to earn decent money).

You seem to have fallen into a trap which I have fallen into myself - putting the product first. The product is obviously important, but why the product exists is moreso. Every product has a "value" that exists beyond the nuts-and-bolts. I call it the "offer" but it's really the "USP" (Unique Selling Point). Every product is purchased because it has a unique "thing" that is better than the other guy's. MJ calls it the "value skew"; there are tons of ways to describe it...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr_sj4Cq6GM

The point is that from what you've posted on here, you're still in the phase of "oh sh*t, I made something - look at it!!". This is absolutely fine. But when it comes to making paper, you have to get into the mind of the consumer. If it's a choice between your sex toy and some other thing... why is your sex toy going to win? What's the underlying reason why they need your toy in their lives?

If you can't answer that, it's highly likely your product will be a dud. And no, I'm not being a pessimist. I'm being pragmatic. You have to fail in order to succeed; I've indulged in my fair share of the success sniffing salts where everybody circle jerks to Tony Robbins. Brutal reality (and why some people are perpetually successful) is that you have to be real sometimes. So I'll be real here...

The trick to building a perpetually successful "business" (NOT a product... a business) is to focus on the service you provide. The real secret to getting people to buy stuff from you is to focus on the thing that you actually "do" beyond the product.

I'm in software. I never tell people I'm a software developer - I just do stuff and show them. I ended up doing software because I've been glued to a computer screen since I was 13 years old. I'm not a typical nerd, but I got infatuated with it for some reason.

When I talk to people in a professional setting, I'm able to break down their entire digital stack and tell them what's good and what should be ditched. Many others can do that... but I have a trick. I know marketing. I love marketing. The reason I don't tell people I'm a software guy is because I tell them I'm a marketeer. And it's true... I am a marketeer... except rather than being a "Google SEO expert", I'm able to build out a "Google" and all the other technical services that make up the modern media mix.

Take from this what you will; I'm trying to say that what you "see" from a business (a product that's wildly successful) is not dependent on its existence, but its necessity. You've never considered the huge infrastructure required to run Google, but it's there... and people are paid very well to maintain + improve it.

*EVERY* successful product I've observed came from an underlying "need" from the market. This is somewhat cliche on this forum (it's one of MJ's core principles), but it's true. Every time I tried to change the need, I failed. When I worked around the need, everything started to work well.

It's the same with every product. Buyers want what it's able to deliver.... but they want it to be bigger, better, faster, cheaper, better looking than the other guy's. This is where your opportunity lies → what does your toy do that others don't? If I shove it up my a$$ is it going to make me hallucinate? Is it for couples? Is it for elderly folks?

Consider this:
Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex? – The Atlantic – Medium

This is an example of a need.

Kids today aren't f*cking. Great! You may say (I remember when teen pregnancy was the major taboo)... but the question is why? This is the type of thing that determines how a market may take to a product; particularly this line:

Means nothing on its own, but is highly suggestive of the cultural move towards _____ ?

Whatever the _____ is, is your opportunity.


This is the most important part of this whole thread. Business is brutal. Where money is involved, the shroud of civility falls away and primal instincts reign. You're still a novice (which is great) but don't be tempted into thinking you know more than you do. 99.9% of the people giving you advice have no business of their own and the ones who do will not reply on here anyway.

The likelihood is you won't strike it lucky first time. That's okay... but don't be surprised if you go through hell to make something you want and no-one cares. This is why many women are unable to handle this type of stuff (many do, but the majority don't). The feminine ideal of everybody having their own unique value just because they survived birth doesn't work in the real world.

-

I would personally treat what you're doing as a "project" (a step above a hobby) in order to learn about product development.

I would allocate a budget of $1.5k-$3k to get it to prototype stage. Don't do crowdfunding because you need a prototype designed to get it funded. What you're doing isn't a "business" because you don't know how you're going to market it (unless you can legit tell someone to stick the toy somewhere and it will give them the best orgasm they've ever had); there's no underlying "service" you provide beyond the product itself (hence the licensing assertion).

I hope this doesn't bring you down too much, but it's sh*t like this - practical but realistic insight - that I wish I'd looked at back in the day. Again - I would definitely implore you to do something, but as Dave (@Vigilante) has mentioned - I would treat it as part of a learning process rather than a money-maker.

Lots of great advice in there. You're bang on (pun) with what you've written - although I will admit to cringing a bit at the female-oriented psychology.

It's a wonderful idea to treat it as a project, something that I'm using to learn about the process. I feel there is benefit in that.

And yes, I think my idea is great and there are competitors out there not quite hitting the mark (in my opinion and from the reviews I've read).

To shed more light on what is definitely not obvious from the post so far, my product is not a sex-toy but a sex toy mount. That said, I had an idea last night for a sex toy I would like to make, there is no NEED for it, but it would be borderline AMAZING and it's not been done before. I can get carried away once inspiration strikes. What's that saying...

"When the muse comes to your bedside, don't tell her you'll F*ck her later"

THAT is my experience. I listen to her and she won't shut up haha.

I digress.

Yes, I'm a total novice. I've never ran a business other than the ten blogs and Amazon ebooks you'd expect from someone at my stage ready to play properly (tips hat to MJ). And that is why when I introduced myself in the other thread I stated that I felt like WHO AM I to even think I could do this.

In my head I need to VALIDATE that people want this.

My plan right now, is get the damn thing illustrated and then look at how much a prototype would cost then get an understanding of whether it works and if so then do whatever I have to do to TEST whether anyone gives a shit.

I am tempted to contact Brian Sloan (sex toy mentor) to find out more about his crowdfunding campaign and whether that is a viable option for me. Although right now in my head I still haven't agreed to manufacture it...

I do appreciate everyone's thoughts on the matter. Thank you for contributing.
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
UPDATE - using this as a progress thread...

So I finished reading Stephen Key's book and feel that yes, perhaps licensing is NOT going to be the best route for my gadget.

I'm currently reading Unscripted and this morning was reading the chapter about validation or soft proving the concept.

I now have three products (including the initial gadget) - I know, that looks like busyness - that have come about from thinking about my initial product and feel that really, to pursue this path means putting my big girl pants on and doing it myself.

So rather than start crying at the untold overwhelm that I feel when I think about HOW THE F*CK AM I GOING TO DO THIS??, I'm focusing on one step at a time.

First step - await drawings from fiverr gigs. One technical drawing of gadget and one illustration of other product.

Second step - pursue validation. From Unscripted MJ DeMarco mentioned he didn't think it was ethical to take people to a site and simply say SOLD OUT. I kind of agree. Another stumbling block, I don't believe facebook adverts would allow a photo of my product because it's sex-toy related. Same for Instagram presumably. So I need to work out a way to validate that doesn't use these options. I'm hesitant to go down the crowdfunding route. I don't know why I have such a mental dislike for it...

Spoiler - I don't think I'm going to patent. First of all, I'm not sure I even can because the gadget uses existing mechanisms and is simply an amalgamation of components borrowed from other things. Secondly, I just don't know whether it's necessary if I'm not planning on licensing.

So yeah, that's where I'm at.

Doesn't feel like I've figured out very much. It's like walking through treacle.

Did I mention I have ZERO ££ to put into this so everything has to be bootstrap on steroids?!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

RazorCut

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
358%
May 3, 2014
2,032
7,269
Marbella, Spain
There is a lot of good content in your post but I'd like to see you back this up with some meaningful statistics:

The likelihood is you won't strike it lucky first time. That's okay... but don't be surprised if you go through hell to make something you want and no-one cares. This is why many women are unable to handle this type of stuff (many do, but the majority don't). The feminine ideal of everybody having their own unique value just because they survived birth doesn't work in the real world.

And I'd totally disagree with this statement too:

99.9% of the people giving you advice have no business of their own and the ones who do will not reply on here anyway.

apart from that good post.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

RazorCut

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
358%
May 3, 2014
2,032
7,269
Marbella, Spain
One other thing. Building a successful business is a process. It's a learning curve. You have to fail, and fail forward so you can learn the lessons and gain the experience needed to push onwards and upwards.

You can only get so much from a book. It's the doing not the observing that is most important. So shooting her project down in flames would be totally counter productive.

If @Calvert79 was talking about investing her total life savings into this project I'm sure there would have been a totally different flow to this thread. But, I think what she is doing, whether successful or not, will stand her in good stead for future projects and it reinforces her mentality of taking action.

We all have to begin somewhere but the majority never make it over the start line. Getting a static object in motion is the hardest job. Once it is in motion it builds it's own momentum and that's what's important.

-
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
One other thing. Building a successful business is a process. It's a learning curve. You have to fail, and fail forward so you can learn the lessons and gain the experience needed to push onwards and upwards.

You can only get so much from a book. It's the doing not the observing that is most important. So shooting her project down in flames would be totally counter productive.

If @Calvert79 was talking about investing her total life savings into this project I'm sure there would have been a totally different flow to this thread. But, I think what she is doing, whether successful or not, will stand her in good stead for future projects and it reinforces her mentality of taking action.

We all have to begin somewhere but the majority never make it over the start line. Getting a static object in motion is the hardest job. Once it is in motion it builds it's own momentum and that's what's important.

-
Thank you for this.

I am absolutely doing this failure or not.

One thing I can be relied on for is to implement (almost too quickly) principles I read in books. Which is hilariously the reason why I have no money to invest in this project right now because having read all of the financial independence retire early books all our money is now salary sacrificed haha!

i've started an Instagram account and made headway with connecting with potential influencers who can help me to validate my idea - soft prove.
 
Last edited:

Autoblow2

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
333%
May 29, 2014
6
20
43
Hi Calvert79, I'm Brian Sloan the guy you contacted via Clarity.fm. I get an alert anytime my name appears online so I found this thread. I have an old account I made back in 2014 here!

There is a lot of good information from other people on this thread about how to get started, but to be totally honest, I don't like when people contact me asking questions they can find the answers for online or by reading books or by taking actions they haven't taken yet but should have. I like when people come to me (and actually had many free Clarity calls with such people) when they already have a clearly developed plan of action and want me to share experiences with them.

Example: "Hi, I have prototyped my new sex toy, applied for a patent, and have been struggling to find a factory to make it for me. I dealt with 1 factory so far but it seems they are stringing me along, and I'm not sure when I should give up on them and move to another factory."

Or, "I've been working on a sex toy prototype and I think a good way to start selling it would be to get it into a chain store near me called xxxxxxxx. What is the best way to approach a big sex toys chain to get them to want to talk to me?"

One of the other members here pointed out that you should attend the sex toys expo in Shanghai. That is true, and when other people interested in the industry have contacted me and I find out they don't know about the Shanghai show, I do not consider them serious and I do not spend my time helping. I have spent a bunch of time on the phone with people I don't know sharing my experiences and love to do so just because I think its fun and interesting and I feel I can make a positive impact. But if you didn't yet google "sex toys trade show china" and find that the first result is the only important sex toys trade show in the world, then I don't feel my time input into helping will be impactful.

For the sake of the others on this thread, I will get a bit more into the licensing issue and I'll use my current product that's on Indiegogo (Autoblow A.I.) as an example to explain why I think no one will license your idea and why I think it doesn't make sense in general. First to the guy earlier in the thread who said he has licensed product ideas/patents to companies, I'd love to get on a call with you and talk about it, not because I want to do it but because I'm really curious the circumstances under which you have been able to do so, and perhaps there's something I can share with you that you will also find interesting.

The development cycle for Autoblow A.I. was 3 full years and its not done yet. There is no "idea" that is a part of the device that I couldn't have paid for from the engineers I hired or come up with myself. If someone came to me with the entire idea of the completed product with drawings and everything, even that would be of limited utility because the real value isn't just from the concept (good engineers are paid to come up with such concepts), its making it manufacturable. I won't tell you what my Autoblow A.I. will cost to make per piece, but frankly half the innovation in the product comes from the fact that my factory figured out how to make it for the cost we're going to pay them for it. Without hitting our cost target, it will be too expensive to sell in stores. That is why Fleshlight Launch for example, the closest competing product, isn't in stores and loses a lot of volume in sales. It's too expensive to produce making the retail price (if sold in brick and mortar stores) too high.

The idea for the product itself is such a tiny part of its success in the market that it's just not worth dealing with someone over it. I didn't even mention the marketing costs and experience necessary to make people want to buy the product. I could launch Autoblow A.I. with a different name and different marketing and without the A.I. part and no one would want to buy it, even though it does the same thing. Licensing an idea doesn't even touch upon all of this experience necessary to make people choose it over competing products.

I know one case in the sex toys industry of a large distributor who did license a male sex toy from an inventor. But the inventor was a mechanical engineer and supported the distributor through the manufacturing process, giving constant feedback on the development and frequently interfacing with the factory. He didn't supply an idea and go away, he became an integral part of the development cycle and the distributor needed his involvement to bring the product to market. I don't know what he gets out of the deal but frankly he could have made a LOT more money if he fully invented the device himself, put in the time to learn how to make it in China, and then brought the finished product to the distributor for them to buy from him.

This was a very long way of saying that I don't believe in shortcuts (or only in very rare cases) when it comes to making money from inventing things. For me that meant living in China for 10 years and learning how to speak (medium level) Chinese, but more importantly, understanding Chinese culture.

If you are serious about making a sex toy, get serious about making a sex toy and put your all of your time and most of your money into it. Crowdfunding is an option as well, but the safest way to run a good campaign is to make sure that backers know its not your first product and that you have been active and/or successful in your industry beforehand. Plus, to safely pre-sell your product (and not end up not delivering), you should already be something like 80% finished with the development before hitting Indiegogo.

Ok my fingers hurt so I will end this answer now!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Seth G.

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
286%
Oct 30, 2018
87
249
31
Tri-State Area
"well, they aren't doing my idea my way so up yours".

You'll do just fine.

"When the muse comes to your bedside, don't tell her you'll f*ck her later"

Keeping that one.

gadget uses existing mechanisms and is simply an amalgamation of components borrowed from other things. S

Almost all patents are like that. Rarely are patents genuinely innovative. A provisional patent is still not a terrible idea (cheaper, faster, and will dissuade enough copy cats to get out of the way).

...This was a very long way of saying that I don't believe in shortcuts (or only in very rare cases) when it comes to making money from inventing things...

If you are serious about making a sex toy, get serious about making a sex toy and put your all of your time and most of your money into it...

Seems like that applies to any good business.


~~~

Overall Emma, I'd say keep going. Draw your ideas. Talk to your friends about the ideas and see if it is something they would want.

Getting prototypes can be way cheaper than you expect.
Especially if yours lacks electric/moving parts.

There's loads of good advice in those books and on this forum. Use what's good, tell what's bad to f*** off and above all else:

Keep Going.
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
Hi Calvert79, I'm Brian Sloan the guy you contacted via Clarity.fm. I get an alert anytime my name appears online so I found this thread. I have an old account I made back in 2014 here!

There is a lot of good information from other people on this thread about how to get started, but to be totally honest, I don't like when people contact me asking questions they can find the answers for online or by reading books or by taking actions they haven't taken yet but should have. I like when people come to me (and actually had many free Clarity calls with such people) when they already have a clearly developed plan of action and want me to share experiences with them.

Example: "Hi, I have prototyped my new sex toy, applied for a patent, and have been struggling to find a factory to make it for me. I dealt with 1 factory so far but it seems they are stringing me along, and I'm not sure when I should give up on them and move to another factory."

Or, "I've been working on a sex toy prototype and I think a good way to start selling it would be to get it into a chain store near me called xxxxxxxx. What is the best way to approach a big sex toys chain to get them to want to talk to me?"

One of the other members here pointed out that you should attend the sex toys expo in Shanghai. That is true, and when other people interested in the industry have contacted me and I find out they don't know about the Shanghai show, I do not consider them serious and I do not spend my time helping. I have spent a bunch of time on the phone with people I don't know sharing my experiences and love to do so just because I think its fun and interesting and I feel I can make a positive impact. But if you didn't yet google "sex toys trade show china" and find that the first result is the only important sex toys trade show in the world, then I don't feel my time input into helping will be impactful.

For the sake of the others on this thread, I will get a bit more into the licensing issue and I'll use my current product that's on Indiegogo (Autoblow A.I.) as an example to explain why I think no one will license your idea and why I think it doesn't make sense in general. First to the guy earlier in the thread who said he has licensed product ideas/patents to companies, I'd love to get on a call with you and talk about it, not because I want to do it but because I'm really curious the circumstances under which you have been able to do so, and perhaps there's something I can share with you that you will also find interesting.

The development cycle for Autoblow A.I. was 3 full years and its not done yet. There is no "idea" that is a part of the device that I couldn't have paid for from the engineers I hired or come up with myself. If someone came to me with the entire idea of the completed product with drawings and everything, even that would be of limited utility because the real value isn't just from the concept (good engineers are paid to come up with such concepts), its making it manufacturable. I won't tell you what my Autoblow A.I. will cost to make per piece, but frankly half the innovation in the product comes from the fact that my factory figured out how to make it for the cost we're going to pay them for it. Without hitting our cost target, it will be too expensive to sell in stores. That is why Fleshlight Launch for example, the closest competing product, isn't in stores and loses a lot of volume in sales. It's too expensive to produce making the retail price (if sold in brick and mortar stores) too high.

The idea for the product itself is such a tiny part of its success in the market that it's just not worth dealing with someone over it. I didn't even mention the marketing costs and experience necessary to make people want to buy the product. I could launch Autoblow A.I. with a different name and different marketing and without the A.I. part and no one would want to buy it, even though it does the same thing. Licensing an idea doesn't even touch upon all of this experience necessary to make people choose it over competing products.

I know one case in the sex toys industry of a large distributor who did license a male sex toy from an inventor. But the inventor was a mechanical engineer and supported the distributor through the manufacturing process, giving constant feedback on the development and frequently interfacing with the factory. He didn't supply an idea and go away, he became an integral part of the development cycle and the distributor needed his involvement to bring the product to market. I don't know what he gets out of the deal but frankly he could have made a LOT more money if he fully invented the device himself, put in the time to learn how to make it in China, and then brought the finished product to the distributor for them to buy from him.

This was a very long way of saying that I don't believe in shortcuts (or only in very rare cases) when it comes to making money from inventing things. For me that meant living in China for 10 years and learning how to speak (medium level) Chinese, but more importantly, understanding Chinese culture.

If you are serious about making a sex toy, get serious about making a sex toy and put your all of your time and most of your money into it. Crowdfunding is an option as well, but the safest way to run a good campaign is to make sure that backers know its not your first product and that you have been active and/or successful in your industry beforehand. Plus, to safely pre-sell your product (and not end up not delivering), you should already be something like 80% finished with the development before hitting Indiegogo.

Ok my fingers hurt so I will end this answer now!

Hi Brian, thank you for your long, detailed response. I'm delighted you took the time to comment and how interesting it must be for you to be back on a forum almost five years (and many successes under your belt) later.

I contacted you initially to see if you could assist with the licensing route and your response is very clear that you don't feel it's viable. I'm grateful for your feedback because it saved me a lot of time pursuing an option that looks to be difficult. So thank you.

I am a lot further forward than I was when I first contacted you. For one I now have the workings of a good illustration to help build and cost a prototype. I am doing as you said and making the damn sex toy to test and validate the offer.

Whilst I appreciate your experience and the value you offer back to people trying to get into this field by offering paid mentoring I feel that this part of your response is a trifle excessive...

"That is true, and when other people interested in the industry have contacted me and I find out they don't know about the Shanghai show, I do not consider them serious and I do not spend my time helping...But if you didn't yet google "sex toys trade show china" and find that the first result is the only important sex toys trade show in the world, then I don't feel my time input into helping will be impactful."

Afterall, as MJ mentions in Unscripted , you don't know what you don't know. A beginner is a beginner. Typing "sex toy trade show China" into Google was definitely not my first port of call but if that's a barrier to entry for being serious about bringing a product to this market or at least fleshing out an idea (or indeed paying you for your mentorship) then that's very disappointing.

I appreciate your information about manufacturing your Autoblow - very interesting! I'm going down (pun) a very different route to you, and so whilst I could gain a tonne from your insights it would't ultimately help me get to where I want to be anyway. So I'm just going to get on building the damn thing and seeing how far I can get with my creation - albeit a naive and with a beginner-mind.

Thank you, Brian.

You'll do just fine.



Keeping that one.



Almost all patents are like that. Rarely are patents genuinely innovative. A provisional patent is still not a terrible idea (cheaper, faster, and will dissuade enough copy cats to get out of the way).



Seems like that applies to any good business.


~~~

Overall Emma, I'd say keep going. Draw your ideas. Talk to your friends about the ideas and see if it is something they would want.

Getting prototypes can be way cheaper than you expect.
Especially if yours lacks electric/moving parts.

There's loads of good advice in those books and on this forum. Use what's good, tell what's bad to f*** off and above all else:

Keep Going.

THANK YOU! Much appreciated.
 

Autoblow2

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
333%
May 29, 2014
6
20
43
Hi again, here's the link to the Shanghai show:

CHINA ADULT-CARE EXPO

Validating the idea with a prototype is of course valuable but don't expect the validation to come from any of the retailers or distributors; 75% of them shit on the Autoblow 2 when I showed them our prototype back in 2013 prior to crowdfunding. But I knew from the experience of selling the original one online the potential market size and how much interest there was from our customers. So if you can, get it into the hands of users, not resellers, at first.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
Hi again, here's the link to the Shanghai show:

CHINA ADULT-CARE EXPO

Validating the idea with a prototype is of course valuable but don't expect the validation to come from any of the retailers or distributors; 75% of them sh*t on the Autoblow 2 when I showed them our prototype back in 2013 prior to crowdfunding. But I knew from the experience of selling the original one online the potential market size and how much interest there was from our customers. So if you can, get it into the hands of users, not resellers, at first.

Absolutely. Thanks. That's my plan.

Unfortunately I won't make the expo. Maybe next year. Enjoy...
 

B. Cole

In thine hand is power and might.
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
328%
Mar 5, 2017
595
1,953
42
East Coast
I have done about 20 license deals over the years (maybe less, I didn't count). But, here's what I think :

1. You are in an unbranded category
2. There are very few companies that would be license candidates
3. They all probably have 100 products on the drawing board that they haven't built yet
4. There is little barrier to entry into generic products in this field
5. You talked with someone in the space, that knows more than you and I do, that makes money mentoring, and he wouldn't take you on

Here's my takeaway. This isn't going to license.

So, copy his roadmap. Croudfund the startup.

A lot of people look at licensing as a shortcut to riches. Someone will take my idea, run with it, and send me money every month.

Does that happen? Yes. Does lightning strike? Yes. Are there about a MILLION sex toy ideas people have that have never been manufactured? Yes.

I don't think you are going to license it. Here's where my OPPOSITION to my license thread comes in. Everyone's got an idea, and not everyone is capable of making it happen.

I have had relatives over the years bounce their ideas by me. One of them was a toilet seat that you step on a lever on the ground (like an automatic garbage can lid raiser). The guy wanted me to take his idea, run with it, and when I made millions on his brilliance, give him millions. His share.

Here's where the rubber (pardon the pun) meets the road. Nobody cares. You are in a tough category to ever get anyone to care, and you might spend two years trying to find someone to care and never find it.

So what do you do? Go around the obstacle. Go over it, go under it. Door closes, find a window. You CAN do it. I just don't think it is going to be a license deal. The license deals I have had were all natural fits. They all paired a perfect brand with a perfect product. NONE of them were "I have this idea... now I want someone else to make it happen and pay me."

Everyone has ideas. Everyone has a sketch on the back of a napkin. The difference between Sarah Blakely and you? She DID IT. She thought she had a better solution, so she brought it to market. Now she's a guest shark on shark tank.

If you believe this product is an answer to a problem, then bring it to market AND THEN someone will pay you for it. One concern I have for you is you know about zero about the industry you are embarking in. Spend some time as a student of the industry first, and really study product trends, marketing trends, manufacturing, and market share. Then and only then would you be ready to really invest your time and money into something as complicated as what you have on the table in front of you.

My .2 cents. Take it for what it is worth. Do I think you could do it? Yes. Do I think you will do it? Mmmmm... not sure yet.

This X10. Most of us product developers start out thinking that licensing is what we want to do, mainly because we don’t know what to do with what we’ve got. I’ve learned that you also have to be in possession of full IP on a product and have proven it in the market to get anyone interested in licensing. And if you’ve gone that far, you are most of the way there, so finish the job and manufacture/distribute the product yourself for much better margins.

On making it and getting feedback - If you can sculpt modeling clay to create a plug (ha ha it’s a toy thread, you’ll get it later) you can create very nice, usable prototypes. Look at resin casting, particularly Smooth-On’s line of products. Once sculpted, you can create a silicone mold of your product and duplicate it perfectly and quickly with an array of human-safe rubber and plastic compounds that you just mix and pour. All info easily found on YouTube. It should change form and function several times before you settle on the best version of it, and you can only learn this through trial and error.

If you have the determination to prove it and bring it to market, welcome to several years of grinding, difficulty, disappointment, obsession and eventually (depending on you) success. You’ll learn what MJ meant about there being almost no value in the idea, it’s all in the process and execution.

Good luck, let me know if you need help with prototyping (not testing!) :clench:
 

B. Cole

In thine hand is power and might.
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
328%
Mar 5, 2017
595
1,953
42
East Coast
Two steps. Then start talking to manufacturers and what it would cost to develop your product.


All sorts of weird sh*t at that trade show. I'm sure you'll find someone capable of creating your product, and they'll walk you through the steps and costs.

I did this exact same thing in the first few months of my product idea. It was very eye opening and valuable, highly recommend it.

Found a few like minded entrepreneurs to network with and learned a lot about the different types of manufacturing, but what I learned mostly - was screw all these people at the trade show, they didn’t have time for me. It was the first steps to learning that the only person I could count on was me, thus beginning the journey to make it myself.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
This X10. Most of us product developers start out thinking that licensing is what we want to do, mainly because we don’t know what to do with what we’ve got. I’ve learned that you also have to be in possession of full IP on a product and have proven it in the market to get anyone interested in licensing. And if you’ve gone that far, you are most of the way there, so finish the job and manufacture/distribute the product yourself for much better margins.

On making it and getting feedback - If you can sculpt modeling clay to create a plug (ha ha it’s a toy thread, you’ll get it later) you can create very nice, usable prototypes. Look at resin casting, particularly Smooth-On’s line of products. Once sculpted, you can create a silicone mold of your product and duplicate it perfectly and quickly with an array of human-safe rubber and plastic compounds that you just mix and pour. All info easily found on YouTube. It should change form and function several times before you settle on the best version of it, and you can only learn this through trial and error.

If you have the determination to prove it and bring it to market, welcome to several years of grinding, difficulty, disappointment, obsession and eventually (depending on you) success. You’ll learn what MJ meant about there being almost no value in the idea, it’s all in the process and execution.

Good luck, let me know if you need help with prototyping (not testing!) :clench:

I did this exact same thing in the first few months of my product idea. It was very eye opening and valuable, highly recommend it.

Found a few like minded entrepreneurs to network with and learned a lot about the different types of manufacturing, but what I learned mostly - was screw all these people at the trade show, they didn’t have time for me. It was the first steps to learning that the only person I could count on was me, thus beginning the journey to make it myself.

THANK YOU. Pure gold. I'm extremely grateful for this site.

Haha, totally open to testers :)
 
Last edited:

B. Cole

In thine hand is power and might.
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
328%
Mar 5, 2017
595
1,953
42
East Coast
Haha, totally open to testers :)

I'd giggle myself into a state of retardation every time I had to talk about it. Totally useless lol.
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
UPDATE:

I got a fiverr gig to draw my design. Although it's far from completed it gives me something better to work from. A very kind person on the forum offered to take a look at the design and offer suggestions.

I paid another fiverr gig to illustrate my second idea (which is exactly the same use as the first but completely different design).

I started an instagram account and YES, I spent 45 minutes this morning superimposing dildos into a disco scene. BUSYNESS. And also, that's a sentence you're not likely to read again your whole life.

But it's slow. So slow. I had thought building an audience to pitch my product to is definitely the way to go but to do it this way is going to take FOREVER. I can of course approach sex toy reviewers and perhaps pay them to share but I need a working model/illustration to do that.

I kinda feel like I'm going round in circles.

Having read through the patent info on Gov.Uk I'm satisfied it's a registered design rather than a patent. Happy to go down this route.

In order to make both of these designs I need to find a company that will make them from scratch. I can easily find sex toy manufacturers but it isn't just a sex toy. So they'd need to do something they don't - does that make sense?

I literally don't have a clue how to find someone that can make both of these from scratch. THAT IS OF COURSE IF I EVEN NEED TO. I'm thinking post-validation of course...

Gah.

My head hurts :)
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

rpeck90

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
442%
Nov 26, 2016
317
1,401
34
United Kingdom
Japanese men marry anime characters in a VR wedding

Love in another dimension: Japanese man 'marries' Hatsune Miku hologram | The Japan Times

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjKVuoD5Yg
Since March, Kondo has been living with a moving, talking hologram of Miku that floats in a $2,800 desktop device.

Kind of counter to my original post (which is still true), but there is money everywhere if you're able to make a product which captures the right attention. The Autoblow thing above captured my attention when it showed the BJ action. I started imaging it. That's the type of marketing that stimulates sales.
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
there is money everywhere if you're able to make a product which captures the right attention.

This is what I'm attempting to do.

My product isn't a sex toy as such.

From what I can see there are millions of sex toys available.The market is saturated. Unless you're going to come up with something completely revolutionary. And I don't mean it spins around. Although...

Seriously hitting a wall with my entire project.

I got quoted £1500-£2000 for concept design from a product developer yesterday and at least another £1000 to prototype.

I have literally £100 to throw at this.

Feeling utterly despondent and lost and thinking perhaps it's useless.

I know, positive. :/
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

rpeck90

Gold Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
442%
Nov 26, 2016
317
1,401
34
United Kingdom
I have literally £100 to throw at this.

What's your job if you don't mind me asking? If you're living between two countries, one would expect you to have access to more resource?

I don't know what you're trying to build/make, but £100 ain't going to cut it. Even if you got a bunch of prototypes sorted, you'll still have MOQ in most factories. The expense in setting up a factory lies in the tooling etc, which can often run into the $10,000's. But I don't know your project so it may not need that.

From what I can see there are millions of sex toys available.The market is saturated. Unless you're going to come up with something completely revolutionary. And I don't mean it spins around. Although...
EXACTLY. But don't let that dissuade you on its own. Having a large amount of products generally means there is a large amount of demand, but that demand will likely have already been divided between two or three major players. If you're going to create a successful product on its own, you most often need what's known as a "blue ocean".

-

Perhaps talking to this guy may give you more pertinent insight into how to successfully market a product that you had made overseas (IE the process).

He owns Seventeenth Watches and generated his income (which I believe to be substantive) primarily through social media. They're not my style, but the fact he got his own product created, marketed and is now somewhat successful should give you some ideas on how to get making money without selling a kidney.

-

If you want more specific feedback, I'd want to know...

1) your situation (why entrepreneurship? why £100?)
2) what your product actually is? I've got in my head its some sort of strap-on belt (or whatever they're called)
3) what your "vision" for it all is? Everyone has that one "thing" they picture for a product. Is it to have 1k reviews on Amazon? For pornstars to use it?

Simple facts are that most people won't say if your idea is shit because they don't know themselves. Like I mentioned before, most people are not very good at business. It's rare to find someone with the insight, experience or - perhaps - talent to recognize success. Hence why most people will cheer when someone says "I'm going to start a business" and like 2 people will actually ask what it's about etc.

I'm not successful but I've been around the block and made mistakes. You can see my CV here: CV (Public).pdf I went totally broke in 2015 due to investing into a product that required more money (so I know your pain). I can certainly give you some ideas but don't know enough about what you're doing.

You're welcome to email rpeck@frontlineutilities.co.uk if you want to talk. If you do, please give me your thoughts on the female stuff I posted.
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
What's your job if you don't mind me asking? If you're living between two countries, one would expect you to have access to more resource?

I don't know what you're trying to build/make, but £100 ain't going to cut it. Even if you got a bunch of prototypes sorted, you'll still have MOQ in most factories. The expense in setting up a factory lies in the tooling etc, which can often run into the $10,000's. But I don't know your project so it may not need that.

EXACTLY. But don't let that dissuade you on its own. Having a large amount of products generally means there is a large amount of demand, but that demand will likely have already been divided between two or three major players. If you're going to create a successful product on its own, you most often need what's known as a "blue ocean".

-

Perhaps talking to this guy may give you more pertinent insight into how to successfully market a product that you had made overseas (IE the process).

He owns Seventeenth Watches and generated his income (which I believe to be substantive) primarily through social media. They're not my style, but the fact he got his own product created, marketed and is now somewhat successful should give you some ideas on how to get making money without selling a kidney.

-

If you want more specific feedback, I'd want to know...

1) your situation (why entrepreneurship? why £100?)
2) what your product actually is? I've got in my head its some sort of strap-on belt (or whatever they're called)
3) what your "vision" for it all is? Everyone has that one "thing" they picture for a product. Is it to have 1k reviews on Amazon? For pornstars to use it?

Simple facts are that most people won't say if your idea is sh*t because they don't know themselves. Like I mentioned before, most people are not very good at business. It's rare to find someone with the insight, experience or - perhaps - talent to recognize success. Hence why most people will cheer when someone says "I'm going to start a business" and like 2 people will actually ask what it's about etc.

I'm not successful but I've been around the block and made mistakes. You can see my CV here: CV (Public).pdf I went totally broke in 2015 due to investing into a product that required more money (so I know your pain). I can certainly give you some ideas but don't know enough about what you're doing.

You're welcome to email rpeck@frontlineutilities.co.uk if you want to talk. If you do, please give me your thoughts on the female stuff I posted.
Thank you very much. I absolutely value your input.

The reason why I have zero to invest is as I alluded above. We signed up for a salary sacrifice scheme that runs until April next year. So in May 2019 I will have more money to invest.

Yes, I realise that isn't much. At the moment I'm aiming to get a design and prototype with the intention of using Indiegogo to raise funds to actually manufacture - if there is a demand.

To define more clearly the 'toy' - I like your strap on suggestion - it's a toy mount. There are a number of mounts available but the one I'm designing answers the problems of existing products.

As for my vision. I'd like to make money designing something that I myself would want. I have no grand vision of 1000s of reviews as such but I see that there is room for my product and I think it would be cool as F*ck to bring it to market. I know that wouldn't quite cut it in Shark Tank but that's where I'm at right now.

I'm naturally creative and to see people using something I made would be pretty much enough for me.

I value your input. Thank you.
 

Get Right

Legendary Contributor
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
477%
Jul 16, 2013
1,317
6,281
Sunny Florida
What's it going to take to just make a crude version? Hell, duct tape some pipe or something together and see if your idea works. You can refine it later. You need something in your hands before you go to far with this.

Wow, it's difficult to write anything without the innuendos...
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
What's it going to take to just make a crude version? Hell, duct tape some pipe or something together and see if your idea works. You can refine it later. You need something in your hands before you go to far with this.

Wow, it's difficult to write anything without the innuendos...
hahaha I KNOW! So many puns.

Hmm, I don't think so. Personally I would rather see a nice illustration than some toilet roll holders stuck together with sellotape :)
 

Marigold

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
206%
Nov 15, 2018
231
475
Glasgow & Malaga
ME AGAIN!

Thought i'd vanished, didn't you?

So I got a design done by a guy on Fiverr and it looked like the least sexy thing you could possibly imagine.

So I got another design and he's just sent me the files. It looks good. Or promising.

I've been quoted £400 to get it 3D printed. This is why I'm here today. I'm having such a mental block making the damn 3D model to print to TEST that it works that I'm wondering whether I'm cut out for this.

I have the money - didn't before but I got a side hustle business that raised enough funds to help see me through the process.

Do I even have to 3D print it to test? I can't see another way and I don't want to press ahead and register the design or even approach manufacturers until I know the damn thing works.

I'm looking for

Kicks up the arse
Advice
Support
Insights - something I haven't thought of.

Or any combination of the above.

Thanks!

Emma
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top