Bursting the Bubble

In this line of work I am occasionally forced to burst someone's bubble when they come to me for an evaluation of an invention. I try to be kind. A few days ago, however, my blundering burst someone's bubble so dramatically and so suddenly that you could almost hear the *POP* and a low hissss as the inventor's ego slowly deflated.

While participating in a panel of evaluators (and under a signed confidentiality agreement), we listened to a budding inventor describe his new idea. Only about 5 seconds into the description I piped up, "Oh, I have one of those at home!" Another panelist reached into his bag and produced something very similar to what the inventor was describing.

He sat in stunned silence (except for the aforementioned *POP* and hisssssss), then he said, "Wow. I've never seen one of these before. Honestly." There was a discernible lack of confidence in the way he walked out of the room, and I felt responsible.

For a moment, at least. Then I remembered that his experience was created in his own mind and by his own actions or omissions. No different from everyone else on the planet.

Why do inventors fear to take that vital first step? Are they afraid of what they will find 9 times out of 10? When an inventor has a new idea, the first thing to do is google it and get a feel for what's already out there. This has several advantages.

1. It saves you from re-inventing the wheel or other similar items that already widely known.

2. Filling a gap in the marketplace is far easier when you know the marketplace.

3. No inventor ever has just one idea, but many have only one idea at a time. The sooner you disposition your present idea, the sooner the next (possibly better) one will come.

Therefore, do not delay in evaluating your idea! Search the internet for it, and you don't find it, begin evaluating its commercial potential. The following document can help:

Invention Evaluation Checklist (pdf, 64 kB)

Getting an independent expert opinion is helpful, too. But be careful of "experts" who will tell you only what you want to hear in order to get you to spend more money. Invention development businesses can be useful for some people, but they are none to discriminating about whose money they take. I have seen some truly pointless inventions come out of these businesses (at the inventor's expense) that will never return the investment.

I would rather burst someone's bubble in the short term and help them move on to something worthwhile than either stand by or actively participate in that person going broke on a bad idea.

So, friend, if I ever need to give you bad news about your invention, I hope you understand that it's because I care.