Inventors: What keeps you going when it feels like you’re spinning your wheels and not making any progress? Remember: Progress isn’t linear! There will be many twists and turns on your innovation journey. Every experienced inventor understands this, including inventRight Coach Scott Putnam. He knows these twists and turns very well because he’s been inventing new products and bringing them to market for nearly a decade! He is a longtime coach at inventRight as well as the entrepreneur behind Swat N Scoop.
Remember, every bump in the road is just a detour on your path to success.
5 Questions For inventRight Coach Scott Putnam
1. How do you stay motivated to work on inventions when you feel like they’re going nowhere?
Scott Putnam: One of the best ways to stay motivated when it feels nothing is happening is to remember that things are likely going on behind the scenes even if we are not aware of them. I keep in mind that companies are notoriously unreliable about keeping us posted on progress. They typically reach out only when they have some news to report. It’s important to have faith that if we stay focused and maintain an attitude of never giving up, success is inevitable. It’s just a matter of staying active and getting out of our own way!
2. What’s a tip you would give to new inventors?
Scott Putnam: The best tip I can give new inventors is to do your best to detach from the emotional connection you have with your product. Some may suggest “not falling in love with your product”. It’s a numbers game and if you are madly deeply in love with your product, it makes it harder not only to get it out there but to fully accept any criticism from companies, even if it’s constructive. We need to change the lens through which we see our own products.
Bonus tips: Do LOTS of research on your product and stay with it.
3. How do you decide which product ideas are worth pursuing?
Scott Putnam: You want to stack the deck in your favor and the best way to do this is by starting with simple ideas (no electronics, solar panels or plutonium), that are in good categories for licensing. I run them through the inventRight Product Evaluation Cheat Sheet to see how the ideas stack up. It’s good to look at trends and Amazon reviews to see what people are saying about these types of products…what do they like and not like? Then use this as well to determine the best product to put into motion.
4. How does it feel seeing your invention on store shelves?
Scott Putnam: It’s an amazing feeling walking into a store and seeing my product hanging on a clip strip for sale. I have to resist the urge to grab other shoppers nearby and tell them, “That’s my product!!”
(Curious what types of products inventRight members have commercialized? Find a long list of products brought to market by members of our community here.)
5. What inspires you to invent?
Scott Putnam: Like a lot of inventors, the ideas and inspiration just flow to me. It’s like a valve that’s sometimes hard to turn off. I became more inspired once I knew WHAT to do with my ideas, and now it’s just rinse and repeat. We all have creativity in us, and when we nurture it even a little bit, it grows. With this growth comes excitement and more creativity begins to flow, and lends itself to more inspiration. It’s a great feeling when a company says, “Wow, cool idea, let’s talk!”
And when you finally see your invention on store shelves? It’s a win worth celebrating! Take a moment to pat yourself on the back and soak it all in.
Connect with Coach Scott Putnam on LinkedIn.
