Juggling The Business Of Inventing

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve failed over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

A few years ago I had been in search of the perfect (for me) activity/exercise: something that’s quick, fun, lightweight and travels well.  After a search of several activities, including going as far as asking for advice from one of our members who is a retired recreational therapist, I finally settled on something that so far seems to stick: juggling. 

This is certainly something that is not for everybody and probably even something that sounds a little odd to most people, but if you’re an Entre-Inventor, then you already know we’re a type that seems to want to run upstream with most everything anyway. 

So far I’m just getting the hang of the beginners level of juggling scarves (plus it’s more aerobic than balls), but while I am still learning, and might not ever be good enough to be seen juggling in public, in the process of learning this new pastime I found myself drawing some comparisons to this time-honored art and the worlds of inventing and business.  Here are some observations I thought worthy of sharing with you:

Juggling Is Not About Catching, It Is About Throwing 

I noticed early on that if you want to be successful, you have to concentrate more on the throwing than the catching.  Watch a juggler and notice how they always seem to be looking up, not down. 

The same can be said for the world of inventing.  You have to be proactive, concentrating on your throw, on what you’re doing or going to do, rather than focusing on trying to catch that bad throw. 

Wild throws equals wild catches, and subsequent drops.  So keep your eyes on where you’re throwing, not where you’re catching.  Remember, a bad catch is better than a bad throw. 

You are catching enough bad things that happen by themselves in the Entre-Inventing process without adding the results of unfocused actions you could make on your own. 

You’re Going to Drop Some Balls

It’s going to happen.  And it’s going to happen more in the beginning, when you’re just trying to get the hang of things.  This is also the time when you are the most vulnerable to get discouraged and quit. 

OK, so you dropped one, or two, or a hundred-and-three. Be patient.  After a while, you’ll find your rhythm.  Until then, don’t give up.  Rome wasn’t built in a day – if needed, take baby steps until you get the hang of it. 

I learned recently that the famous vacuum inventor James Dyson had over 1,000 prototypes to fail before he perfected what is now his famously successful invention, with over $1 Billion in sales worldwide. 

Juggling Is A Learned Skill

And so is the business of inventing.  You’ll basically learn from three areas:

1. You’ll learn from experts.  Learn all you can from those that have gone before you. 
2. You’ll learn by practice.  The more you practice, the better you get a catching those “stray balls”. 
3. You’ll learn from mistakes.  You can turn mistakes from reasons to quit to valuable information on how to move forward. 

Don’t Make Things More Difficult Than They Have To Be

When learning to juggle, one of the first things they tell you is to practice in front of a chair or a bed.  Why?  Because they know that in the beginning, you’re going to drop a lot of balls. 

Use all the tools at your disposal.  Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help when you need it.  Just with the internet and social media, there are more tools out there now for inventors and entrepreneurs than has ever been available before, so take advantage of every possible tool that will give you all the edge that you can take hold of. 

Juggling Is About Risk

Yes, you can drop a ball. Remember what you’re risking: your money, time, talent, your ideas, your invention itself. 

It’s safer if you don’t throw anything into the air, but then you wouldn’t be doing anything at all.  You want to be wise and very aware as to what you are risking and what those risks are.  Anyone telling you the truth will tell you that inventing is a high-risk venture. 

Many inventors are willing to take these risks, but the wise ones know what they are getting into and take calculated risks based on their individual situation.  If you’re not successful, you could have made more money delivering pizzas. 

For me, however, this is a lot more rewarding than saying, “That will be $11.95” on a number of levels. 

Be Prepared To Sweat

It always looks so easy when you see the performer (or successful inventor) up there from the comfort of the spectator seats. 

Once you’re throwing, catching, and trying to keep rhythm all at the same time, however, you find out quickly it’s a lot of hard work.  I think probably the most fun I have with inventing is that “light bulb” eureka moment, when you are creating that great idea in your head. 

But that’s just the 1% inspiration, compared to the 99% of perspiration that Edison spoke of.  And you have to really put your whole body into it; half-hearted throws just don’t work very well. 

But if you can practice, pace yourself when you tire, and move from that “I don’t fell like doing this today” phase to the “I feel like I can’t stop” phase, you will have moved closer to the guy you saw from your spectator seat.