The Innovation Highway

Run the D@#% Experiment!

As a follow-up to my last post, I wanted to reinforce the importance of going beyond the initial "idea" to actually confirming that you have a potential "invention" . The difference being that an invention is a practical application that has demonstrated the possibility of fulfilling its consumer promise.

In other words, getting out of hypothetical mode, building a prototype (no matter how crude), and then having target consumers use it. Only then can you begin to have confidence that you have an invention.

Sure, many issues remain about scalability, cost, patents, and other commercialization aspects. But, you're kidding yourself until you "run the d@#% experiment".

It's amazing how often we see submissions where no initial prototype and experiment have been assembled. And, yet, the individual is sure this is going to be "huge". Bad idea. A good way to waste time and money.

If only the Inventor's creativity was channeled with equal verve against devloping an efficient prototype and getting target consumers to use it, then we could get straight into the business of commercialization. But, until that's in place, it doesn't make sense for the Inventor (or us) to pour significant time or money into commercialization.

The moral of the story: run the d@$% experiment!

Where to Start With Your Invention

I am often struck by how hard it can be to get going with your invention, regardless of whether you’re an individual inventor or a corporate type. Both environments pose their own very real challenges. But, very often, much of the difficulty is self-imposed.

So many times, we’ve encountered inventors who have invested several years of hard effort, have taken second and third mortgages, and have maxed out their credit cards. They may have even paid for their passion in other ways, such as health or marriage difficulties. And yet, when you look at what they have to show for it, there may not be much beyond a pile of patent attorney bills and design firm bills.

Because the individual inventor is fueled by their own passion, rather than corporate goals, it’s pretty common that passion overtakes pragmatism … that motion overtakes fundamental progress. It’s relatively easy to hire a lawyer and start running up patent bills, as it is to pay design firms to start designing things. And it’s exciting stuff!

Not that these activities are wrong, but each thing in its own time. You see, the farther you get down those roads, the farther you tend to get from what really counts … the consumer. And then momentum further overtakes the consumer as you start extrapolating to all the things that would ultimately need to be done to commercialize your invention to its full potential. But none of that’s worthwhile until the target consumer has spoken on your value proposition.

The key is to figure out early on who your real target consumer his, how your invention fits into their life, why solving their problem would be important to them, and what they truly like and dislike about your invention. Often, that input isn’t what you want to hear. But, as one of my former colleagues likes to say, “The Consumer is the Boss.”

Fortunately, much of the early consumer work can be done very creatively, very quickly and surprisingly efficiently. Only by getting deep consumer insight and objective consumer feedback early can you channel your dollars and your passions on the right design focus and on the right patent strategy. Playing your design, legal and commercialization chips before you have that consumer feedback is a lower odds endeavor than a trip to Vegas.

If we can all remember that the consumer is our boss, then we can dramatically improve our innovation productivity and results!