On Feeding and Caring for an Innovator: Chapter Four

Going it Alone

In chapter 3, we talked about the innovator's need to acknowledge and embrace his, or her, limitations.  Good inventions and innovations die every day because their visionaries try to do too much, all by themselves.

Another problem with "going it alone" is that even the most enthusiastic visionary experiences burnout.  Pushing the rock up the hill is exhausting, and doing it every day by yourself will wear you out mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially.

There are reasons visionaries give for going it alone.

• Pride - "I'm the only one who can carry this vision to completion!"  That may be so, but you can enlist friends and family to help carry some of the personal burden while keeping the R&D to yourself.
• Fear - "They'll laugh at me."  Lots of visionaries have been laughed at.  So?  
• Insecurity - "I simply can't trust anyone else with this vision."  Fear that someone will steal the technology or idea is valid, but there are legal ways to protect yourself during the development stage.
• Control - "I am solely responsible for the success of this vision, and no one is going to see it, touch it, or take credit for it but me."  I mentioned the sculptor in the previous chapter.  He was the perfect example of this.  He kept such a tight grip on his vision that nobody could work with him, and it eventually died.

Who's in Your Corner?

When I started working on my coating technology, I didn't even have a company.  I had an idea and that was all.  I had an idea, and I had friends.

Without realizing what I was doing, I assembled what I called "The Local Brain Trust".  The trust was made up of friends I see on a regular basis, and one thing I found was that trying to carry on a conversation without talking about the one thing that was occupying my every thought and motive was extremely tiresome.

I have 2 friends who are engineers and 2 who are scientists in very different fields of study.  These are people I see almost every week and I've known for decades.  I was able to discuss with them issues and obstacles I was encountering in pursuing the vision.  They responded with advice, suggestions, and assistance.  

If I hadn't had the brain trust, my vision would have died, just like all the others before it.

I also, through friends, found "The Team".  Through a simple introduction to one go-getter whose nickname is "the bear hound", I found someone who took the vision and expanded it to much larger applications.  He could see application in other markets, and that led to testing and validation I could never have achieved on my own.  Bear hounds never give up and are unafraid to go into any situation.

The bear hound introduced me to "the gate keeper".  This guy is about 6'6", has a law degree and serious experience.  He attended my first meeting with a state entity notorious for using technologies for which they have not paid.  He had actually taken that entity to court on at least one occasion...and won.

When I shook hands with the leaders of this entity, they were on their tiptoes in anticipation.  When they saw the gate keeper, they sat back on their heels.

The bear hound also introduced me to "the quiet man".  This guy understands that I have a vision and that I'm developing it for commercialization.  He very quietly directs my steps and handles the things I've discovered that I hate, which are details and politics.

These three gentlemen are now part of the company that was started for the purpose of developing and commercializing the Storm Greeter coating system.  Along the way, however, I found "the cheerleaders".  These folks include my wife and family members, engineers who hope to be end users, my pastors and teachers, and friends.  I have wearied these people with updates over the years, but their willingness to listen and to support me have been incredibly valuable.

Conclusion

I've probably just told you things you already know and, maybe, have experienced.  Maybe I've encouraged you to build a team.  Be careful what you share and with whom you share it, but at least share the load.  It could mean life or death for your vision.