Inventors Lab . . . Start Here
Congratulations!
If you are an inventor, or have the inventive spirit, you deserve congratulations. If you are the holder of a new idea, or new product concept or new intellectual property to develop, this page is for you.
Use the Lab Menu to navigate topics and to learn. >>>
Over the years, we’ve worked with a lot of inventors and inventions, and noted several things to help people avoid mistakes and find success in launching their products. It’s not a simple path, so this web feature is here to help. We’ll discuss inventions, product based ventures, and ways for inventors (and other folks in the new products world) to navigate common obstacles.
Thank you for visiting.
What’s In The Lab?
- Letter to Inventors — An introductory note with some overview thoughts and guides.
- Protecting Your Idea — A discussion about ways to protect your intellectual property.
- A Word about Patents — Some quick advice about using patents for IP protection.
- The Product Development Process — Links to and explanation about the PDP Article.
- NIH Syndrome — The inventors disease, the symptoms, and how to avoid it.
- In Case You’re Wondering — A few words about motivation and why this feature is here.
Additionally, for those proceeding from Invention to Starting a Business based on an invention, there is some good advice from the Colorado Springs StartUp Week (2016) published in this article: Keep Your Startup Out Of The Sand. The presentation is about avoiding traps that consume precious starting resources. The article is about identifying the traps, then how to keep from getting stuck in them.
Invention, Inventors, and Product Based Ventures
There is a difference as we talk about “Inventors” and those pursuing a “Product Based Venture.” Not all inventors pursue the marketing of an invention, and not all who bring new products to the market are inventors.
Similarly, the term “Invention” is often spread to mean things that are new, not necessarily “inventive”. Likewise, many new things are “inventive” or have portions of “invention” without being recognized as such.
This web feature, The Inventors Lab, may be mislabeled as well. It is not a place to invent, rather, it is a place to learn about bringing new products to market. Since our experience shows that “Inventors” often need this kind of information, we’re calling it The Inventors Lab. But . . . Whether you are in a corporate environment or a solo endeavor, the same principles apply — perhaps with a slightly different frame of reference.
We understand the meaning of words is different for various people, so please forgive us if we use words in ways you normally would not. Pull the concepts with value to you, and feel free to discard the rest. The Lab is for you.
New to the Market
Bringing a new product to market is a big undertaking. Coming up with the cool, new, inventive idea may well be the easy part. Getting it to market can be harder still. Since the creative skills of the inventor are not the same as the business skills required for product success, don’t be afraid to find others to help. Oh, and developing new skills is required.
Information in this “Lab” is not definitive. We hope you will use many sources for learning. There are lots of great books and websites. And, there are people everywhere willing to help. Find them, then as you learn, be one!
By the way, if you find this information useful, please share it. It’s pretty easy to post on any of the social media platforms, or just refer friends. It’s all free for everyone, so help out a friend and give them encouragement to pursue their dreams too. Thank you for visiting.
Learn Lots, and Enjoy the Journey
Go To Next Topic: Open Letter to Inventors
