“Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door…”
– a modern rephrasing of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
What does the phrase build a better mousetrap mean? It means you should build and innovate if you want to be successful. It means you should create something, but maybe you shouldn’t create a mousetrap because there are currently more than 4,400 patents for new mousetraps. Mousetraps or not, the phrase truly means that innovating something is far better than innovating nothing.
From Invention Brainstorming to Invention Idea
Unless you truly have a unique and cost-worthy mousetrap, maybe focus your inventing skills on something other than a mousetrap. The idea isn’t to build a mousetrap, but rather to inspire you to create something that people have a use for; hence, why the world is beating a path to your door. The world wants what you got…Or, what you will have once you’ve fleshed out those good ideas.
Before you rush into a project, why not generate a huge amount of invention ideas? Brainstorm ideas by writing down problems facing society; perhaps your garbage disposal clogs up or tackle something bigger, such as the current world water shortage. The most important thing is that you understand this is the beginning of data collection, and data will need to be collected throughout the inventing process, from the initial stages to marketing a product or service. This is exactly why you absolutely must create backups of your data and invest in comprehensive network security, which will keep you protected from disasters and hacking attempts.
Once you have a list of problems, list them in their order of importance to you. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and begin thinking critically about solutions to the problems. You may need to break the initial problem down into smaller sub-problems. Once done, you’ll be able to see all the aspects of the problem and can create solutions to single units or problems as a whole. Continue down your list creating solutions, and be sure to imagine as many solutions as you can for a single problem.
Highlight your favorite solutions; or, highlight the solutions you believe you can effectively invent. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel here; you’re simply looking to invent something that has use. For example, if you use photography apps on your smartphone, but notice that many of the paid ones are missing a key feature, you could create a new photography app that has all the mechanisms of the older app, but also includes the new feature.
Don’t Run Out for a Patent Just Yet
Most newbie inventors believe they can’t move forward with their idea until they’ve secured a patent. This is a myth according to Tamara Monosoff CEO of MomInvented.com and regular contributor at Entrepreneur.com. She says, “…only two to three percent of all patented products ever make it to market…Clearly, filing a patent has little impact on a successful product launch.”
Patents are typically very expensive too, warns Monosoff. They can cost more than $5,000, which for startups is a hefty sum that should be applied elsewhere. Forgo patents in favor of “more critical, less expensive steps,” such as researching your target market, building a prototype, and evaluating the manufacturing process. If manufacturing or marketing prove too difficult, you won’t have wasted money patenting a product that’s never going to make it to market.
Build Your Prototype
Regardless if you’re inventing a physical product or a software, you’re going to need to build a visual representation of your product or service. This could be phase one of building a fully-fleshed out product for yourself, or it could be something you build to secure funding from investors. Either way, building a prototype is an essential part of inventing.
A prototype helps you evaluate your idea. You can test it, fix it, build upon it, or scrap it entirely. You could also rebuild the metaphorical mousetrap, as was the case when Vie Shair open-air headphones were adapted from traditional Yamaha components and upgraded to create a more immersive musical experience. Improving an already established product or service is just as inventive as building something from scratch.
Overall, inventing isn’t rocket science, unless of course you’re a rocket scientist inventing a new rocket. It’s a step-by-step process that begins with an idea. Protecting yourself and your ideas, especially if you’re creating apps, is a part of that process. But cyber security is just the beginning. After that, it’s hands-on exploration and immersive product testing.
Image courtesy of atibodyphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
