I’m a retired engineer involved in product development and fairly new to FLF. To pay it forward, here are a few basic thoughts for those who have ideas for physical products and are thinking about moving them forward.
The views below are strictly my own perspective. Hopefully, others with varying/broader experience will chime in to make this a more useful thread.
MINDSET: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
Product development is hard work. To achieve success, a LOT of time and effort must be expended in learning about IP, drafting/modeling capabilities, manufacturing techniques, marketing, and on and on. The battle cry of “Execute!” seen repeatedly in this forum is paramount. Consider an accountability partner to help you keep things moving; your biggest enemy is inertia.
EMOTIONS: Strap on your Kevlar, and don’t get too emotionally attached to any one innovation. No one likes to be told that they have an ugly baby, but when this happens (and it will happen) don’t get your feelings hurt. Ask yourself if the issue is the product, the perception, the pitch, or some of all three. Use the feedback to evaluate and improve your product and your sales pitch, and your perspective.
CREATIVITY: Product development is a numbers game. Train your mind to create - challenge yourself to come up with one or more ideas DAILY and write them down. (I keep mine in Notes on my phone and enter every date, even if there are no idea entries for that date - the empty dates are grim reminders to do better.) Use CENTS to rate your ideas so you won’t waste your time on ideas that may be innovative but would prove difficult to monetize. Familiarize yourself with target markets and go back and review all ideas regularly, looking for modifications/pivots that will improve their CENTS evaluation.
PATENT & PRIOR ART SEARCH: Make sure your idea, or at least part of it, is original (referred to as “novel” by the USPTO) and therefore patentable. Start with a thorough internet search - perform numerous searches using different methodologies and key words. Learn how to perform your own patent search. Use the USPTO website, and learn how to do general searches and detailed searches by classification. This is meticulous work and takes hours, but you can save your money and, just as important, learn a lot about what you’re competing against. If your idea is already patented or being marketed, try to figure out how it can be improved.
PROTOTYPING: You may need a proof of concept prototype to test the functional performance of your product. The goal here is a quick and ugly version to make sure your idea functions as desired. It can often be made mostly from normal household refuse - empty plastic bottles, coat hanger wire, wood scraps, cardboard, and a few bits from the local hardware store. Hopefully, you can make this one yourself. This prototype can also assist in defining the form and features of your product.
A marketing prototype is needed for test marketing and further development. This may consist of a 3D rendering or a non-functional model. Depending on the nature and features of your innovation, a fully functional model can be helpful for demonstrations and videos. It’s not hard to find skilled individuals to assist you. @Ian Thompson has helped several people on this forum with successful results. Before getting contract help, always do your homework first. Being able to clearly define form, features, and components will help them to be more effective and keep costs down.
PATENTS: Do NOT spend your money on a Utility Patent until a product is a proven moneymaker. Take time to learn about Provisional Patent Applications (PPA’s). Though the actual IP afforded by a PPA is minimal, it does provide a good perception of IP protection by allowing you to post “Patent Pending” on your product and sales material. A PPA can also serve to plant your flag for an earlier filing date should you later (within 12 months) file a utility patent. With a little effort you can write part or all of a PPA yourself. When the time comes for a utility patent, it should be written by an experienced patent attorney. Be prepared to spend several thousand dollars (minimum).
TRADEMARK: This is often overlooked by those new to product development. Filing a trademark for a product name is a pretty straightforward and inexpensive process that adds value to your product. This step usually falls after post-PPA market testing and before roll-out marketing for licensing or pre-production.
MARKETING: This is the most difficult aspect of making an innovation profitable, whether you are licensing or selling it yourself. The best product is worthless if you don’t have the skills and confidence to market it. I know this first hand and struggle with it constantly. Marketing does not come naturally to many inventors and you have to push yourself. Learn all you can about marketing and engage in some form of marketing activity to hone your skills. And be active on this forum; there’s an amazing amount of succinct and valuable information here.
MANUFACTURING: Unless you have a ton of experience in the manufacturing industry, you will definitely need help here. Initially, you’ll likely be looking at a short run to tweak both your product and your marketing, and to gain seed money before proceeding with with long run manufacturing. Big bucks will be spent in getting final manufacturing off the ground, and the process can go sideways in ways beyond mortal comprehension. There are some individuals on this forum with experience that vastly exceeds my meager knowledge who can hopefully help to guide you.
The above steps may appear daunting and there is very seldom a quick path to glory. But persistence pays off, and it’s incredibly gratifying to develop an idea into an object of value. Now get out there and execute!
The views below are strictly my own perspective. Hopefully, others with varying/broader experience will chime in to make this a more useful thread.
MINDSET: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison
Product development is hard work. To achieve success, a LOT of time and effort must be expended in learning about IP, drafting/modeling capabilities, manufacturing techniques, marketing, and on and on. The battle cry of “Execute!” seen repeatedly in this forum is paramount. Consider an accountability partner to help you keep things moving; your biggest enemy is inertia.
EMOTIONS: Strap on your Kevlar, and don’t get too emotionally attached to any one innovation. No one likes to be told that they have an ugly baby, but when this happens (and it will happen) don’t get your feelings hurt. Ask yourself if the issue is the product, the perception, the pitch, or some of all three. Use the feedback to evaluate and improve your product and your sales pitch, and your perspective.
CREATIVITY: Product development is a numbers game. Train your mind to create - challenge yourself to come up with one or more ideas DAILY and write them down. (I keep mine in Notes on my phone and enter every date, even if there are no idea entries for that date - the empty dates are grim reminders to do better.) Use CENTS to rate your ideas so you won’t waste your time on ideas that may be innovative but would prove difficult to monetize. Familiarize yourself with target markets and go back and review all ideas regularly, looking for modifications/pivots that will improve their CENTS evaluation.
PATENT & PRIOR ART SEARCH: Make sure your idea, or at least part of it, is original (referred to as “novel” by the USPTO) and therefore patentable. Start with a thorough internet search - perform numerous searches using different methodologies and key words. Learn how to perform your own patent search. Use the USPTO website, and learn how to do general searches and detailed searches by classification. This is meticulous work and takes hours, but you can save your money and, just as important, learn a lot about what you’re competing against. If your idea is already patented or being marketed, try to figure out how it can be improved.
PROTOTYPING: You may need a proof of concept prototype to test the functional performance of your product. The goal here is a quick and ugly version to make sure your idea functions as desired. It can often be made mostly from normal household refuse - empty plastic bottles, coat hanger wire, wood scraps, cardboard, and a few bits from the local hardware store. Hopefully, you can make this one yourself. This prototype can also assist in defining the form and features of your product.
A marketing prototype is needed for test marketing and further development. This may consist of a 3D rendering or a non-functional model. Depending on the nature and features of your innovation, a fully functional model can be helpful for demonstrations and videos. It’s not hard to find skilled individuals to assist you. @Ian Thompson has helped several people on this forum with successful results. Before getting contract help, always do your homework first. Being able to clearly define form, features, and components will help them to be more effective and keep costs down.
PATENTS: Do NOT spend your money on a Utility Patent until a product is a proven moneymaker. Take time to learn about Provisional Patent Applications (PPA’s). Though the actual IP afforded by a PPA is minimal, it does provide a good perception of IP protection by allowing you to post “Patent Pending” on your product and sales material. A PPA can also serve to plant your flag for an earlier filing date should you later (within 12 months) file a utility patent. With a little effort you can write part or all of a PPA yourself. When the time comes for a utility patent, it should be written by an experienced patent attorney. Be prepared to spend several thousand dollars (minimum).
TRADEMARK: This is often overlooked by those new to product development. Filing a trademark for a product name is a pretty straightforward and inexpensive process that adds value to your product. This step usually falls after post-PPA market testing and before roll-out marketing for licensing or pre-production.
MARKETING: This is the most difficult aspect of making an innovation profitable, whether you are licensing or selling it yourself. The best product is worthless if you don’t have the skills and confidence to market it. I know this first hand and struggle with it constantly. Marketing does not come naturally to many inventors and you have to push yourself. Learn all you can about marketing and engage in some form of marketing activity to hone your skills. And be active on this forum; there’s an amazing amount of succinct and valuable information here.
MANUFACTURING: Unless you have a ton of experience in the manufacturing industry, you will definitely need help here. Initially, you’ll likely be looking at a short run to tweak both your product and your marketing, and to gain seed money before proceeding with with long run manufacturing. Big bucks will be spent in getting final manufacturing off the ground, and the process can go sideways in ways beyond mortal comprehension. There are some individuals on this forum with experience that vastly exceeds my meager knowledge who can hopefully help to guide you.
The above steps may appear daunting and there is very seldom a quick path to glory. But persistence pays off, and it’s incredibly gratifying to develop an idea into an object of value. Now get out there and execute!
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