Douglas M. Gaus
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Inventing - Notes from the Workshop

3/11/2010

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So you think you have an idea you think will change the world and make you rich? 

Every invention starts with an idea or a problem in the need of solving.  Many people think their idea is "done" since they have thought of it in their head...if they don't act on it, it will soon gather dust and eventually meet its demise in the brains' circular file.  The true inventors are the ones who go down the unknown road and try to make their idea become reality.
 
Even for the simplest inventions, making a working prototype that does what was intended for the original idea can take a lot more time and effort than expected.  It can be an arduous task requiring critical decision-making all along the way.  Hours of testing different prototypes, differing materials and all producing differing results.  Many times, there are unexpected results, sometimes even producing new ideas or products.  The inventor either tabulates these mentally or in a journal as they try to produce the desired results for the initial idea.

During this process, a good inventor must continually keep in mind that they need to make the product in the simplest way possible, without sacrificing desired product quality in order to keep manufacturing and material costs to a minimum.  They can also hire specialists to do the engineering and design work for them, as not all people with great ideas have the expertise or skills to go through this step on their own.

Thomas Edison didn't just think of the idea for a light bulb like device or the incandescent lamp and stop there.  He had a vision in his mind to produce some sort of electric lamp and he set out trying to and then accomplishing this magical feat.  He spent countless hours trying different filaments until he finally had first successful test in 1879, producing a bulb that glowed for some 13 consecutive hours.  During his experimentation phase, he tried many different metal filaments but had returned to a carbon filament, that he coiled, which produced the best results for him. 

Ideas are a lot like buying a starter home.  Once you own it, you need to put a lot of sweat equity into it for it to reap the benefits of its makeover.  Edison was known for the famous quote, "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."  What he was really trying to say is that the true inventing happens after the original idea has been conceived. 

If you have a great idea, are you willing to do the real inventing and execute on the idea?  The inventors who do succeed are the ones who push the idea as far down the path towards making it a reality instead of just a post-it note in the cabeza. 

Are you willing to be an inventor?  Or will your idea continue to just be an idea?
 
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