The pace of the global economy is spurring companies to look for new product ideas with increasing fervor. These companies are hungry for your innovations. They want to profit from your creativity. But which companies, exactly, am I talking about? When you're struck...
The Hidden Benefit of Crowdfunding: Proof of Demand
Last week, I wrote about the challenges of running a successful crowdfunding campaign, and that entrepreneurs who are lacking in ample funds and a sizable network would be better off attempting to license their ideas. However, that's not to say crowdfunding and...
How a First-Time Entrepreneur Went Global with One Simple Idea
When Nancy Tedeschi was struck with the idea to reinvent the screw by adding a long snap off piece — thereby enabling glasses-wearers the world over to quickly fix their eyewear — she was absolutely sure she wanted to bring the product to market herself. “I thought,...
How to Use Maker Faire to Test Your Product Idea
Testing the market is one of the most challenging aspects of product development, especially for independent inventors. You think your idea is great -- but will anyone else? How can you be sure? Should you invest your time and energy into trying to bring it to market?...
How to Get 60 Million Views on Social Media in Less Than One Week
Who among us hasn’t dreamed of going viral? Talk about the ultimate gratification. We work so hard and for so long without knowing whether our ideas are ever really going to take off. The wait can be taxing. Should you stick it out? Should you move on? The answer is...
How One Woman’s Mission to Preserve Her Mother’s Mobility Lead to a Great Invention
The most successful inventors I know are passionate about their ideas. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart. I can tell you this: Everyone who makes it experienced rejection countless times before. It’s inevitable. To play...
The Inventor of the ‘George Foreman’ Grill Sets the Record Straight
When a product becomes a household name, a lot of people tend to stake their claim. Origin stories are lost and rewritten. Ownership changes hands. Debate ensues. Which is partly why Michael Boehm was happy to appear on Million Dollar Geniuses, the new History Channel...