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Really could do with some inventor, entrepreneurial, business person advice please

3nuts*

3nuts*

Wildly Uninteresting
Joined
May 30, 2020
Member Number
1673
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161
Firstly, I don't consider myself an inventor or entrepreneur. I just want some of you who are to help.


About 20 years ago, I had an idea that has since been persistently on my mind. Never let it go. Actually is annoying.

This year, I decided to fully commit to it, dedicating around 25 hours a week to "projectX" while working a paying job 4 days a week.

The journey has been incredibly challenging and lonely, with zero support except for a few inspiring podcasts.

I make myself a deadline. It goes past it. I make another deadline.
Sometimes I stare at the monitor for hours and nothing happens.
Obsessively wonder how to solve an aspect of the design throughout weeks, but then the solution finally comes at 4am or so and I move onto the next problem.

I often lie to avoid social activities to stay committed to my project.
I can't tell many where my time is going, and the ones I do explain a bit to tend to get offended when I won't tell them what projectX actually is. Can't win.

Funny thing is the only two people who totally understand are businessmen themselves and pretty technical.

I hardly ever go on social media and it's why I'm never here at the moment.
Which says a lot about my commitment to this thing, because you guys in here who may be reading this are my favourite group of strangers.
That's why I'm asking for your advice. You don't know me and you have some brilliant technical and business ability.

Despite the pangs of brain pain, I feel a strong drive to succeed.
The pressure is huge, any day this could be brought out by someone else.

I sometimes feel like I'm losing my mind and question whether to continue or give up and enjoy life.

The thought of failing is daunting, I'm under no illusion this is a sure bet by far, but not giving it a good try would be worse.

I have learned CAD, programming, micro-processing, and with over 50,000 hours on the tools as a tradie, I feel capable of achieving this.
Knowing it's the perfect time pushes me down the path more.

I'm reaching out to see if anyone has been through a similar experience and can offer advice or motivation.

Should I persevere because it could be extremely rewarding, or should I put it behind me and enjoy my friends, hobbies, and life?

I think about the 95% of ideas that flop, and wonder if I'm really just 'that kook'. But this thing isn't out and available, even after all this time.

Doing this is better than lounging around watching TV, scrolling on social media or other wastes of time. Isn't it?.

Anyone here been through, or going through this? Succeeded or failed? Both at different times?

If you don't want to post send message :beer:
 
Fuck it. Make it happen. If it's a great idea and you can make it happen then great! If you drop it you will always wonder if you did the right thing. That said it's been 20 years you have been obsessed about this, are you sure there is a market?
 
I would make sure there is a market, and make a plan that you know can be executed. Then subdivide that into achievable tasks (such as come up with a way to spin the shaft, or something simple and you end up with a ton of simple things to figure out). Also keep in mind that you'll most likely need to patent the idea, which is thousands of dollars in attorney fees. That's assuming there is actually something that CAN be patented. Flip side is maybe it's just executing something no one has done and theres nothing worth getting a patent for.

Another thing is that it sounds like you're against outside help, which is fine, but let's be real if you plan to actually make any money you'll need to bring in support. You don't have to run around telling everyone what you want to do, but great inventions usually have multiple people that chipped in along the way. You can't be an expert at everything in your idea, and it's good to get some different perspectives for better ways to do things. You also don't have to divulge everything to get help, maybe you just need some electrical insight or structural or whatever. I don't know how complicated this thing is, but again, subdividing it for help is very powerful too.


I think most people have ideas that are better than what is out there, but most people don't have the balls or will to actually try to bring it to fruition. And the people that do half the time is a pointless endeavor to begin with. If it's bugging you and keeping you up, then it's probably worth spending some time on it to at least figure out if it's worthwhile, and what is considered worthwhile is different to everyone.
 
One thing I will say is don’t put a lot of faith in patients. I’m not telling you to not patient it, but you need to gear up for production and make a bunch of money before others catch on and steal your idea. If you think a patient will protect you from someone stealing it, you’re mistaken. It takes money to enforce a patent. If you are still gearing up production, you don’t have any. I wouldn’t put allot of faith in “non disclosures” either. If you are planning to sell your idea to a big company, it’s very risky.
 
If you don't you'll always wonder "what if?"

First and foremost, is there a legit market for whatever this is and do you have the resources to bring it to market and actually market it. The greatest product or service in the world is useless if you can't fund it and/or no one knows about it. Whatever you think it's gonna cost, double or triple it.

Second, is there anyway you can get some help on this thing? It sounds like you're running yourself ragged trying to get it ready and I'm here to tell you, you can only burn your candle at both ends for so long. File for patents to give you some protection. As long as you're going through the process you're grandfathered in. Make people sign NDAs. There's ways to get help and still protect yourself. Go ahead and get over this fear of involving other people right now. Because you're gonna have to cross that bridge eventually.
 
Business owner here, it sounds like you’ve got what it takes rather than “I want to quit my job and play around with a goal I have.”

Alex Hormozi has good advice on social stuff, for one if you’re current batch of friends are losers and are holding you back, fuck em and make new friends. #2 is he always has a moving goalpost, basically “I’d love to hang out, but I’m taking a break from hitting the bars until this product launch.” Then it’s a book, then it’s something else. I basically have one real friend that lives 6 hours away, he just started his own company this year, so most of our conversations are about not quitting on his dreams, and then hunting.

Some basic advice is “perfect is the enemy of good”, meaning don’t stress over getting every detail perfect in your mind before launching. You’ll get much better feedback from beta testers and initial customers and be able to refine it more quickly based on that. Minimum viable product and continually improve.

You’ll need to hire or learn about sales, marketing, etc. The product itself being kick ass isn’t enough to make a successful company. Don’t play too close to the chest, most successful people aren’t out looking to steal ideas, and they aren’t going to pass up a dollar (their business) to pick up a dime (your idea, no offense).

Keep going, even when it sucks. I asked one of my employees to drown me in the lake behind the house we were working in this week, no lie. :laughing: Driving back into town tonight I was ready to get back to kicking ass tomorrow and pushing my goals even higher.
 
Get your idea to market or sell it to someone that can "get er done"... Take a really hard look at a patent; It may not be worth it. Your a small fish in the ocean. I have invented numerous specialized electronic devices. They were all sent up for patent consideration; in the end it was better to produce and control the items so they wouldn't find there way into our competors hands. :stirthepot::stirthepot::stirthepot::stirthepot:
 
I worked for a product design and development company for 5 years as a mechanical engineer, I worked on anything and everything, from mountain bike parts to video game equipment to medical devices, you name it. There were a ton of clients with great inventions or great designs that never really took off, it seemed the most successful clients were great businessmen and knew how to market. If you aren’t like that yourself, find someone who is that believes in your product and make them a partner. Marketing is everything!
 
Sceep has a few patents through his previous job. He might be able to give you some ideas
 
Went through this with my dad. Combined our talents to see out something he’s had kicking around in his head since I was a kid

Here’s a pictorial
IMG_0791.jpeg

Garage fab

IMG_8188.png

Doesn’t look like much but a huge accomplishment

IMG_8186.png

First actual job. One of the most stressful nights of our lives

IMG_8185.png

Many long nights behind the computer

IMG_8184.jpeg

20+ year dream of his achieved

Can’t say the business model was a total success, but he’s done prints all over the world and scratched that itch

Keep going man, see it through cause it’ll haunt you forever if you think about what could have been

Edit: re-read your post and would like to add that at times this did nearly consume us, but we kept each other in check. We’d hit the motocross track religiously on the weekends and make sure to get a mountain bike ride in at least once or twice a week. You’d be surprised the progress that can be made on a project bs’ing in the truck on the way back from the track. Don’t stop living, but keep making progress
 
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Team_Jake said:
I worked for a product design and development company for 5 years as a mechanical engineer, I worked on anything and everything, from mountain bike parts to video game equipment to medical devices, you name it. There were a ton of clients with great inventions or great designs that never really took off, it seemed the most successful clients were great businessmen and knew how to market. If you aren’t like that yourself, find someone who is that believes in your product and make them a partner. Marketing is everything!
Click to expand...
Bingo. If one company has a decent product with great marketing they'll run laps around a far superior product from folks who have no idea or no budget to market it.

Marketing, sales, and logistics. That's the difference between wild success and utter failure. Sadly, product quality is a distant fourth.
 
I've had a few difficult projects over the years that took from me than I expected.
Over time I learned that I function best at night, so I'd play day to day as normal and burn the midnight oil to get things done.
People are different, maybe you're not a night person, but regardless it might help if you set aside periods of the day for yourself for this and allow yourself the other times(popular times to spend with others) for other activities.

Work on it when you're at your best, be it morning or night or whatever.
 
First off, DO NOT TELL ANYONE SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT YOUR INVENTION. This is called "disclosure" and can void your patent. Patents aren't always the best way to go, but protect your rights in any case.
Do a preliminary patent search and be sure your idea hasn't already been patented.
Personally, I say "Go for it" life is short and you gotta go for your dreams. Best of luck!
 
east_beast said:
If your idea gets big enough for China to rip it off you probably don't care anymore. You're making boatloads of money with a strong market presence.
Click to expand...

Tell me you've never seen chinkmo.com screw someone over that has a patented product.
They absolutely flood the market with 100,000 widgets that are a direct copy of yours for 25% of the retail cost and a marketing campaign you could never support.
3 months later they are off to the next widget
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
Alex Hormozi
Click to expand...
He’s got great content and for whatever reason he’s one of the few who keeps my attention span.

Keep forging onward Mr Nut! So many people in this world are cursed without a purpose, without a passion, without a reason or an obsession like you have. You’ll never get a suitable answer from those type.

Is giving up really even an option? You’ll still be thinking about the idea but doing nothing about it.
 
We have a saying at our house, 'You can be a Viking or Victim, you get to choose"

With that said, We are a small business too.
I worked full time Union for most of it. Got told that It 'wasn't fair' that I had a fab shop like I did at home
Got told it 'wasn't fair' that I could work on the weekend and make more money when shifts were not available.
Got told that it 'wasn't fair' when I sacrificed fun to invest into myself because frankly the Union gig sucked

I made my bed, and I get to do what I want in to now

I look at all the big companies that started out of one car garages, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Disney
though most on that list are tech, but they started small and made it (me too)

I set myself up, everything is paid for, and frankly there is really no pressure financially. But you know, it isn't fair :grinpimp:

Also, OP is right, surround yourself with the type of people you want to be like, you surround yourself with loosers, you will become one. Surround yourself with high performers, you will be expected to preform, simple as that

Good luck OP, it isn't fair, and it is always easier to be the victim because you don't have to so anything to achieve that goal

Embrace the Suck:beer:
 
rockmup said:
Tell me you've never seen chinkmo.com screw someone over that has a patented product.
They absolutely flood the market with 100,000 widgets that are a direct copy of yours for 25% of the retail cost and a marketing campaign you could never support.
3 months later they are off to the next widget
Click to expand...
If your idea is easy to rip off it's not a good idea. Someone that already has the logistics and marketing structure to support it is gonna out do you.
 
:eek:

Was not expecting much interest in this thread
It's really appreciated. Seriously.

I won't quote posts at this stage. Just brief thoughts regarding your posts if it's ok.

I've been hacking away at projecX all day again so far. Take a break every hour or so because my head would explode otherwise :homer:
Plus it resets your thought train. So here I am for a few minutes.

Always thinking the current bit's hard, the next will be easier, ahh no :shaking:, next bit was harder than I thought too.
Had a bit of a design win again on one small component I was stuck on for a bit too long.

20 odd years of mulling this over I've though about a lot of the stuff mentioned quite a bit.

With regards to patents I constantly weigh up the pro's and cons for the reasons mentioned above.
Worst fear either way is if I don't patent and it goes well on the market - someone will patent it all and come after me. That'd be really shit.

Marketing will absolutely make or break this. Correct. I've been studying the crap out of what works and doesn't so much in the current social media age. Money will need to be spent, marketing person / people hired and ads in different areas.

As far as there being a need for it. That's the $1000 question. I've constantly battled with that thought. But to me and the 2 people I had to trust so far - this is a no brainer.
I know, I know, there's no end of people who get full of their idea and themselves, think they're brilliant, think they're going to be rich...famous...looked up to...all that shit. And then it's a dumb idea. What were they thinking? Really could be me. Just another up themself dreaming kook with delusions of grandeur. It's this thought that makes me often want to go to the beach or something else beside firing up the computer. This project hurts my brain, just like any other muscle. It takes effort. A lot.

It is annoying that there are guys in here who are far smarter at this, better at CAD and other skills that would be very handy but nope. Not yet anyway. This sucks.
If I don't try I'll never know. If I go balls in as I am now and it fails flat I only imagine I'll be happier than if I didn't ever find out.
Mainly because I have all the skills to design and bring forward useable prototype - I'm just throwing away an opportunity if I don't try.

Someone mentioned not working on perfection, that's solid advice, I keep pulling myself up on that.
And feature creep. This is a killer for many. This is a topic I love and soo so keen to talk about aspects with some - but again I can't.
It's shit. Because this bits most exciting and fun. Lol.

At this stage my plan is to make the prototype thing and demonstrate it live in person.
Then I will seek a consultant/advisor/VC help for advice and thoughts.
Then I will have more confidence in finding the reality of all this, through reactions and hearing their thoughts, opinions and advice.

It is replicable. I have all the thoughts brought up above on that. That will be an issue. Hoping it may just hit the sweet spot of not quite interesting enough for anyone to go to the trouble and compete, but great enough for us.


Important thoughts I would like to share with you all:

If this does fly and goes well, I will say this did not come easy.
A mind bending amount of effort.
An insane load of self discipline.
Every worst emotion you can imagine.
Lots of sacrifice.
Money spent hiring myself - who may be a dud.
Money not earnt by being hired by myself to work for free.
If I didn't have the support of my wife it would have sunk by now.

Oh and of course, a massive streak of luck.

This is a fucking **** of a way to live at the moment.
 
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I've been helping a buddy with something he is about to bring to market. Like you, he's now hoping it's in the sweet spot of not being ripped off by the Chi-coms, but popular enough that it will be reasonably profitable. There is not a huge market for this widget being that it is vehicle specific.
But...He let the Chi-coms make his mold for him! When I asked why TF he would do that, U.S companies quoted $20K for the mold and the commies only wanted $6k. :shaking:
 
mjlogan88 said:
Went through this with my dad. Combined our talents to see out something he’s had kicking around in his head since I was a

Can’t say the business model was a total success,
Click to expand...
Belt drive goes to what, a blower, alternator for a/c power?

And the dealios on the "deck" are lasers?

Just curious how that makes lawn pictures.

If I had a lawn I'd print a spread eagle xena Warrior Pricess circa 1996.
 
WhiteTrash303 said:
I've been helping a buddy with something he is about to bring to market. Like you, he's now hoping it's in the sweet spot of not being ripped off by the Chi-coms, but popular enough that it will be reasonably profitable. There is not a huge market for this widget being that it is vehicle specific.
But...He let the Chi-coms make his mold for him! When I asked why TF he would do that, U.S companies quoted $20K for the mold and the commies only wanted $6k. :shaking:
Click to expand...
He is about to see how expensive that $14k in savings was.
 
WhiteTrash303 said:
I've been helping a buddy with something he is about to bring to market. Like you, he's now hoping it's in the sweet spot of not being ripped off by the Chi-coms, but popular enough that it will be reasonably profitable. There is not a huge market for this widget being that it is vehicle specific.
But...He let the Chi-coms make his mold for him! When I asked why TF he would do that, U.S companies quoted $20K for the mold and the commies only wanted $6k. :shaking:
Click to expand...
Yeah, part of the reason China keeps their prices so low is to facilitate intellectual property theft.
 
My advise is keep grinding. The worst case is you will learn a lot for next idea, building a business is a lot of trial and error, re-inventing, and learning from mistakes. No one ever gets it completely right ever. But if your not out there playing the game you will never give your self a chance to win.
 
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