We wanted flying cars; instead we got 140 characters,” so says Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook. The 140 characters, of course, is a reference to Twitter.
Thiel has long advocated that recent technological advances have been incremental at best and are nowhere sufficient if we want to change and improve the world.
For me, Thiel’s quip is a call to action. There must be better support and encouragement for fledgling inventors.
Any inventor, whether it’s a garage tinkerer or a part-time software coder, needs easier access to resources that’ll help their ideas percolate.
That is where Diane Kamionka, executive director of the NW Innovation Resource Center (www.nwirc.com) comes in. NWIRC considers itself a “strategic partner — to bring ideas to life.” Kamionka is a go-to person in Snohomish County on how best to create more successful entrepreneurs and inventors.
Kamionka recently shared some basics of becoming a successful inventor. Here are the highlights of our conversation:
What are some common traits and the typical background of successful inventors?
Successful independent inventors come from all walks of life. They typically have some subject matter expertise or skills that make them good at solving problems. I think the most important thing I see in truly successful independent inventors is in their mindset, which supports a passion for what they are doing. They have a willingness to learn from others (mentors and customers) and the discipline to execute on a well-developed strategy.
What are some of the reasons why an inventor fails to get a product to market?
In my experience, three things stand out. They don’t do enough research to adequately understand their market and find competitive products that would limit their reach to customers.
Second is poor communication. Inventors often are too focused on the technical beauty of the thing they created and don’t spend enough time talking to customers about why they like it or what value it provides to the potential user.
Third is a failure to plan. Because they often are creators, tinkerers or makers and subject-matter experts, they work to the limit of their knowledge and then stop. They don’t know how to do the business side of getting a product to market that includes a well-developed strategy.
What are the most common mistakes inventors make seeking a patent?
Patents should be part of an overall business strategy. Inventors often rush to get protection without proper research of the idea and considerations of how the product gets to market. In other cases, the inventor delays any intellectual property protection and risks missing the opportunity to do so.
How would you recommend an inventor get better educated about the patent process?
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has a website (uspto.gov) with lots of information about the types of patents and other intellectual property inventors may need. Additionally, it is always a good idea to consult with a patent attorney about the specifics of an idea. NWIRC’s programs and mentors often address these issues and can help inventors be better educated about the patent process.
What are the best ways to create prototypes of your invention?
One of the best ways is simply drawing out your design. Next, I would recommend using found objects to create a representation of the idea in some form or function. Often this means going to a hardware store or craft store and trying to put together bits and pieces of other things to represent the working parts or design of the invention. Additionally, I would suggest people find a local makerspace or library with 3D printing technology to create more advanced prototypes.
Programs such as the NW Innovation Resource Center’s BuildIt NOW program assists inventors with many of these issues by coaching the inventor through the process from idea to prototype.
Pat Sisneros is the Vice President of College Services at Everett Community College and former small business owner. Send your comments to psisneros@everettcc.edu.
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