How to Bring Invention Into Reality

If you have an idea for an invention, strategize and act on it. Do market research, create a prototype, align yourself with a co-founder who understands your vision, and produce it.?

By Brandi Fowler

Generating an idea for an invention can be exciting, but the steps to bring it to life may be unclear.

The one thing you shouldn’t do is let that potential million-dollar idea pass you by. But, also understand that it takes time, and strategy, to move an idea to market-level production.?

“People don't wake up and say, I'm going to be an inventor as a career,” said inventor consultant and coach Brian Fried. “It's more of a side hustle to start with. You have your full-time job, you come up with an idea, and it's something that you want to be able to use to change your life.

“A lot of people work on the emotions of what they have instead of the business. When you come up with an idea, [it’s best to take steps] to make better decisions.”

Taking an invention from an idea to the market requires research to start. You will also need to create a prototype, possibly take on a co-founder, and consider filing a provisional patent.??

Do Market Research for Your Invention

Research the market to determine your competitors and the uniqueness of your idea when you come up with an invention.?

Confirm the idea before spending money on it, said Invention City president and founder Mike Marks. Ask friends and family. Search google for similar/competitive products and patents with keywords. Obtain professional feedback on your idea.?

“Create images/animated video and survey strangers using a platform like Survey Monkey,” Marks said. “Key questions to ask are, ‘Would you buy this product today for $__?’ If 50% of the target market says ‘yes’ it could be a winner and merits further investment. That does not mean 50% will actually buy. It's a hotness indicator.?

“This step could cost $500 to $5,000-plus depending on your skills and who you hire. If less than 50% of the target market says they will buy it, then it might make sense to reconfigure the idea, reposition it and survey again. If it’s way less than that, maybe move on to the next idea. You have to know when to fold 'em.”

Also, check whether your idea already exists, Fried said. It may be on the market or someone’s intellectual property. If a patent has expired, it is public domain, and you can still create it. If you want to learn more about the idea, explore the market, and figure out what’s best for you.

Focus on the problem you are trying to solve and the market you are trying to solve that problem for, said DNABLOCK CEO and co-founder Anthony Kelani.?

“Most products fail because you're trying to sell something that doesn't have a market,” Kelani said.?

Kelani suggested starting with The Lean Startup Canvas, a one-page business plan template that helps you break down your idea and flesh out how to implement it in the market.?

“The Startup Canvas is a good place to start to think about all the aspects of your business in terms of problem, solution, key metrics, [any] unfair advantage that you have, what your value proposition is, etc.,” Kelani said.?

Create a Prototype for Your Invention

Once you have your business plan together and have started your market research, make an invention prototype.?

Think of it as a solution to a problem as you create it, and put that prototype in front of people, Kelani said.?

Next, pay attention to how your target customer interacts with your prototype. Observe how they use it, take notes, and ask questions deeper than ‘Do you like it?’ to get more useful answers, Kelani said. This is also a part of your market research.

“You'll start to see where your product needs to go,” Kelani said. “Obviously, you don't need to take advice from every single user, but you can distill certain things out of those users to make the product better, and you keep iterating on that.”

Industrial designers can design your prototype, Marks said, adding that a good industrial designer might charge $10,000 to $50,000 for something relatively simple.?

“The industrial designer will get you a design package with a CAD model and specifications,” Marks said. “You will use this to find sources to make the product.”

If you don’t know where to begin to create a prototype for your product, consider a co-founder who can help with the technical aspects of your business. Kelani recommended looking for a co-founder with expertise in your product type, and the connections you need.?

As you search for your co-founder, network and pitch your vision, not the product, so you can align with people who believe in your vision, Kelani said.?

“The product might change, and the startup process is hard, and you want to partner with someone that really will work with you through the good times and bad times, not just for one opportunity,” Kelani said. “So I would just really be careful about who you partner with. And it depends on the product. You might find a consultant business might fit as a partner, but you just have to know and strategize what that relationship looks like, especially looking out into the future.”

Kelani recommended searching LinkedIn or attending conferences to find your co-founder.?

File a Provisional Patent for Your Invention

Next, consider protecting your idea with a provisional patent application.?

“Filing it yourself costs $75. Since the idea is undeveloped, spending money to have a professional write it doesn't make sense at this stage,” Marks said. “The PPA [provisional patent application] establishes priority for one year. It establishes ‘patent pending’ which is not protection, but the possibility of future protection.”

Kelani also recommended holding off on a patent process, adding that it can be “really long and expensive.”?

That is unless you've discovered a unique novel idea or solution.?

“So for instance, in the medical field, there's drugs and things where there's millions of dollars of research put in, and someone discovers the cure to something, you want to protect that,” Kelani said. “But if it's something that's just not novel, then I wouldn't waste my time on doing any patents because it's kind of a grueling process.”

Prepare to Bring Your Invention Idea to Market

Next, create a website and social media for your product, and build a small team around it, if possible, Kelani said.?

You can also position yourself as a thought leader around your product to help build buzz.

“I would suggest to start writing posts, thought pieces and things around what you're doing, and get initial early adopters in,” Kelani said. “Make sure you have a sign-up, easy onboarding on your landing page so you can collect information on people that are interested in what you're doing. And just put marketing dollars behind it. Get ads. Do demos.”

Also, create growth-hacking strategies for your products that enable people to share your product with others, Kelani said. Incentivize them for doing that and use growth-tracking apps to do it.?

You also need to source your product to prepare for launch. Marks suggested looking at Alibaba and ThomasNet for sources for parts/subassemblies, packaging, and warehousing.?

You can take your invention to the market without the backing of a major retailer by placing it on Amazon, Marks said.?

Once you do, it’s also critical to promote the product on social media and other means of advertising.

Top Takeaways

How to Bring Invention Into Reality

• Do market research.
• Create a prototype.
• Consider protecting your idea with a provisional patent application.?
• Hire an industrial designer to create your product, then sell and promote it.?