Kickstarter, and other crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo, have created an unprecedented level of access to funding for inventors, entrepreneurs, and start-ups. It’s easier than ever before to develop a new product, manufacture it, and launch it to market, but it’s also easier than ever before to make some huge mistakes, which can sink an otherwise […]
In my career, I have developed products for a wide range of clients. Some are huge, multinational corporations, others are established mid-sized companies, and others are start-ups or entrepreneurs. One thing they have in common is the desire to innovate and develop the right products to propel their businesses forward. What that “right product” is,
Minimum Viable Product. What is it, and why is it important? Read More »
I meet with inventors and entrepreneurs all the time. One of the great joys I take in my career is seeing the passion that these innovators have for their ideas, and for the businesses they are building. Almost all of the inventor-entrepreneurs I meet have a story of inspiration – the epiphany they had that
The internet gives us all greater access to Asian sourcing, but what are the dangers? I’ve been working with inventor-entrepreneurs and start-ups for fifteen years, and I’ve helped them innovate and develop products in all sorts of industries. Toys, tools, medical devices, consumer goods, professional equipment – if I took the time to think of
Automotive pioneer Henry Ford is famously credited with saying “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”. Of course, we all know that Ford didn’t deliver faster horses – he innovated an automobile that middle class Americans could afford. In some ways, he helped define the American middle class
Faster Horses, or “Why I like Working with Startups.” Read More »
In my career, I work with inventor-entrepreneurs on a daily basis. Some are experienced business people, some are new to the concept of building a business, and some really have no clue what building a business entails. But, one thing they have in common is that they are passionate about their ideas and inventions –
Inventing can be Risky Business! Why can success be so elusive? Read More »
No, I’m not saying that artists make bad inventors, or that inventors shouldn’t have an artistic side to them. But, there is a very important distinction between developing something for yourself, and developing something for a broader group of users. In many ways, that distinction parallels the differences between ‘art’ and ‘design’. In a fundamental
A lot of inventors are artists. And, that’s a problem. Read More »
