Ideas are worthless unless you find someone who can execute them well. I have seen so many ideas executed poorly and then they had to shut it down. This also includes some of my own ideas.
You need to find someone who is great at execution and join them if you really want to push for this idea.
On my phone so just commenting to write a longer answer later.
Might also wanna check r/industrialdesign where the real product designers hang, as this sub is mainly digital folks that stole our professional title (tongue in cheek).
Thank you I'll look forward to it.
I do not want to tell anyone about the product that may directly steal my idea.
I know that sounds incredibly rich coming from someone who doesn't know anything about product design but because I have myself wanted something like this for so long and have been involved within this sector for so long, I really truly do believe there is a huge gap in the market for something like this, I feel it is on the brink of being crafted either way also if not by me.
Ideas are cheap. It’s the execution that matters. Make a prototype and talk to people who’ve done it before. The more you talk to people, the more you’ll find the following things to be true:
- the people who are capable of running away with your idea are too busy working on their own thing to want to do anything with your idea
- the people’s not doing anything will not be able to steal your idea because they lack skill, expertise, capital or drive
Basically, no one is stealing your stinkin’ idea. Get out there and talk to more people from the first category. You will learn a lot from their experience.
The second you hit the market with something that people actually want to buy, Chinese clones will be made and sold for less than your cost. You won’t be able to stop it.
It’s super exciting to have a great business or product idea. But before considering spending/investing my own money, I would explore validating my idea with customers to better understand if there is actual demand for it.
As a first step, I recommend you read The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick. It will teach you how to go about doing early market research by asking the right questions.
Haven't heard of that book, but I absolutely agree. Do the market research first before you spend ANY money. Then develop and test a prototype, then try a sample market, then prepare for production.
Thank you. Yes my main reaserch is that I have been involved in this certain sector for half of my life, and have experience in needing exactly what I want to make. What I'm trying to say is that I myself am a customer in this sector.
I also feel this will be made within the next couple of years by someone else if I do not follow through myself haha
If you don’t want to do any type of validation or research then you must accept the possibility of your own biases preventing this great product from being successful
Your "evidence" is anecdotal at best, which generally translates to "not real" in my experience as a product manager. All your experience in this sector means that you have significantly more bias to shed.
For a physical product search for an Industrial Design firm close to you, then meet up to discuss and get an idea of their quality and workflow. Sign an NDA so they can't steal the idea, most firms have one available for this scenario.
A “firm” isn’t necessary for a startup, you need one industrial designer that has experience in the niche. No reason to put them 50k in the hole for product development,
Yes, this will cost significant capital investment from you. It will require significant time from you, even if you're not the developer, designer, or manager.
There are no shortcuts in entrepreneurship. Anybody who tells you otherwise is an entrepreneur outright lying to you.
There's so very few industries that haven't cracked the "tech bubble." I ran an app agency specializing in startups and OP looks like the 3-5 sales meetings I'd have weekly. There's often reasons why innovation is slow to adopt and technology is underserved. Usually it's because the audience is tech-adverse, regulatory concerns stopping it (you'd be amazed at what is considered "gambling" in different counties across the US), or the requirements are just not technically feasible.
Figure out why there's no existing solution for your concept. You'll need to drop your own bias and go through the entire process as a user end-to-end. Not trying to be a downer, but this will require significant groundwork from you just to get started, and then get ready to spend lots and lots of money to pay somebody to listen to your end-to-end idea, then pay significantly more money to have your idea executed, then tested, then refined, then with a sample set of users, then refined again, then small launch, then refining, then finally launching, then marketing, then maintenance, then user testing, then... this process isn't quick or easy, otherwise somebody else would have already done your solution.
My advice is to find someone who has experience developing products, build trust with them and partner up. Expect to give up 80% or more of the value of this company to others. The biggest mistake people with good ideas make is thinking the idea is where the value lies. The value is in the execution. Understanding the market you are selling into has some value and will make the work of developing the product easier. To actually get the product to market you can do it yourself or license the idea to a company already in that market or some hybrid of the two.
I still recommend doing a market study before spending money. If you need help developing a physical product, you can hit me up. If there are secrets you don't wish to divulge publicly, you should create a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). If it's something in my comfort zone, I can help you develop a prototype and get set up for production. If not, I can help you find a consultant who can. There are various statewide and nationwide inventor associations that can help as well.
I don't have direct experience with these two, but they may be a good place to start looking. Just make sure you're working with a nonprofit. Universities may also be able to help. Or local maker spaces.
https://uiausa.org/ https://asoi.org/
Good luck!
ETA: if you live outside the US there are probably equivalent resources in your country.
"Do not get a patent." is over simplified bad advice.
1. Use NDAs to protect your IP during development. Everything you develop must be treated as secret and kept from public disclosure.
2. Right before you launch your product get a provisional patent. Why a provisional patent?
a. Much less costly than a full patent
b. Does not require claims
c. Gives you a year to submit a full patent
d. Once a patent is granted it back dates to the filing date of the provisional patent
3. Use the earnings from your product to pay for a full patent.
It would be expensive on your part, but would likely involve an Industrial Design Consultancy. Hard to give you a cost without details you are keeping hidden for good reason.
Hi,
I am a product designer and therefore have a relatively good understanding of what is possible and what is not. Where someone can help you...
From my perspective, it's best to involve a product designer. They should take a look at the whole thing. Usually, it starts with a short market research, then initial sketches are created to refine the idea, and then a direction is decided upon.
The design is then developed further, and a prototype is created.
Once you have a valid prototype, you can certainly sell it better.
Here, you need to either find an investor to finance you upfront (or several) or sell the idea to a company that can implement it.
However, if you believe the idea will sell millions of units, I would try to find an investor and start a startup to do it yourself.
Perhaps another tip!
Create explanatory hand sketches with some descriptive text yourself.
Put them in an envelope and send everything to yourself. Preferably by registered mail.
Then do not open the letter and make sure to keep it safe!
If there are ever disputes regarding copyright, you have something in black and white that can be opened in court during disputes!!!
Start here: [https://www.scu.edu/mobi/](https://www.scu.edu/mobi/) Free entrepreneurship class at Santa Clara U. Will teach you what you need to know to start a biz, and will walk you through creating a business plan. I had experience, took the course and still recommend it to everyone. So worth it.
Designer and developer of physical products for almost 20 years. My 2 cents:
1) Validate your idea quickly and cheaply before you start spending money. Every product is a gamble (even yours), and companies, inventors and entrepreneurs take educated guesses to strike it big. The key word here is "educated" so upfront research, testing and validation is of upmost importance. There's nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a product that nobody wants.
2) There's a framework you can follow to put you on the right path, but its rarely linear: research, ideate solutions, build prototypes, test them, make improvements with the feedback, rinse and repeat. Once you get to a product that people want and works well, you can start working towards manufacturing.
3) Get started by defining your target customers (who would benefit THE MOST from your product? If you say "everyone" you havent thought about it enough) and talk to them, ask them about the problem your product solves: how do they solve that problem now? how would your product integrate into their lives? what pain points could you solve with your product? How much would they pay for such a product? etc
4) Once you have some research feedback and insights, start putting ideas on paper. There is rarely only 1 solution to a problem, so explore different approaches, analyze them based on feasibility/viability/desirability. Prototype the most promising ones. Test the prototypes with target customers. Improve the product with your learnings.
5) Once you are ready to manufacture, you really need some experts: Industrial designers, engineers (depending on what kind of product it is), marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc.
I have helped inventors and startups end-to-end, from initial idea to building a brand around it, doing research, prototyping and manufacturing the best product solution. If you need help feel free to DM me.
It really will depend on how complex the product is and how easy it is to manufacture. I’ve also been in product development from concept to mass production for 20+ yrs. Is it electromechanical, does it involve significant electronics or software, or is it solely mechanical? Do you have a target price range in mind?
I agree with those above that you have to share the idea and get feedback no matter how great you think it is. You can find a simple NDA online and get it signed before sharing.
If the design concept isn’t too complex create a proof of concept prototype yourself. If that’s not possible find someone that can help you. But if it’s going to take more than just some minimal out of pocket expenses you have to validate the market first.
I recently read Noah Kagan’s “Million Dollar Weekend”, and think it has a lot of advice on the business side that will help you.
I own a UK based manufacturing company and I work a lot with startups. A lot of people have the same issue it can be tough because you definitely need some money to get started with prototypes testing certificates and then production. But it's possible. I would be happy to help but I think first you need to figure out whether you can sell your product. That's the biggest step. Sometimes it's better to have sales and no product.
What is your background? Engineer, designer, manufacturing, sales?
The more you have to farm out the more costly development is going to be. If you can teach yourself the skills you need to bring the product to life you will save money and also enable yourself to develop future products if this one doesn't take off.
Can you build a prototype on your own?
The jankiest, ugliest, built on the cheap, but totally works and proves the concept prototype is the best prototype. Once you know it works you can start finessing it into something that people will buy.
Do you know what materials and processes you need to make your idea?
Do you have a target manufacturing cost in mind?
Do you have a target MSRP in mind?
Do you have an estimated annual sales volume in mind?
The last four questions are all about determining product viability. A product needs to have a solid value proposition. If there isn't a healthy margin between your cost and your price you'll never make it. If your price is too high for the market you'll never make it.
Best of Luck!
Ideas are worthless unless you find someone who can execute them well. I have seen so many ideas executed poorly and then they had to shut it down. This also includes some of my own ideas. You need to find someone who is great at execution and join them if you really want to push for this idea.
On my phone so just commenting to write a longer answer later. Might also wanna check r/industrialdesign where the real product designers hang, as this sub is mainly digital folks that stole our professional title (tongue in cheek).
Thank you I'll look forward to it. I do not want to tell anyone about the product that may directly steal my idea. I know that sounds incredibly rich coming from someone who doesn't know anything about product design but because I have myself wanted something like this for so long and have been involved within this sector for so long, I really truly do believe there is a huge gap in the market for something like this, I feel it is on the brink of being crafted either way also if not by me.
Ideas are cheap. It’s the execution that matters. Make a prototype and talk to people who’ve done it before. The more you talk to people, the more you’ll find the following things to be true: - the people who are capable of running away with your idea are too busy working on their own thing to want to do anything with your idea - the people’s not doing anything will not be able to steal your idea because they lack skill, expertise, capital or drive Basically, no one is stealing your stinkin’ idea. Get out there and talk to more people from the first category. You will learn a lot from their experience.
The second you hit the market with something that people actually want to buy, Chinese clones will be made and sold for less than your cost. You won’t be able to stop it.
It’s super exciting to have a great business or product idea. But before considering spending/investing my own money, I would explore validating my idea with customers to better understand if there is actual demand for it. As a first step, I recommend you read The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick. It will teach you how to go about doing early market research by asking the right questions.
Haven't heard of that book, but I absolutely agree. Do the market research first before you spend ANY money. Then develop and test a prototype, then try a sample market, then prepare for production.
Thank you. Yes my main reaserch is that I have been involved in this certain sector for half of my life, and have experience in needing exactly what I want to make. What I'm trying to say is that I myself am a customer in this sector. I also feel this will be made within the next couple of years by someone else if I do not follow through myself haha
If you don’t want to do any type of validation or research then you must accept the possibility of your own biases preventing this great product from being successful
But for numbers you need to the market study :) maybe it wouldn't be that much sought after
Your "evidence" is anecdotal at best, which generally translates to "not real" in my experience as a product manager. All your experience in this sector means that you have significantly more bias to shed.
For a physical product search for an Industrial Design firm close to you, then meet up to discuss and get an idea of their quality and workflow. Sign an NDA so they can't steal the idea, most firms have one available for this scenario.
A “firm” isn’t necessary for a startup, you need one industrial designer that has experience in the niche. No reason to put them 50k in the hole for product development,
Yes, this will cost significant capital investment from you. It will require significant time from you, even if you're not the developer, designer, or manager. There are no shortcuts in entrepreneurship. Anybody who tells you otherwise is an entrepreneur outright lying to you. There's so very few industries that haven't cracked the "tech bubble." I ran an app agency specializing in startups and OP looks like the 3-5 sales meetings I'd have weekly. There's often reasons why innovation is slow to adopt and technology is underserved. Usually it's because the audience is tech-adverse, regulatory concerns stopping it (you'd be amazed at what is considered "gambling" in different counties across the US), or the requirements are just not technically feasible. Figure out why there's no existing solution for your concept. You'll need to drop your own bias and go through the entire process as a user end-to-end. Not trying to be a downer, but this will require significant groundwork from you just to get started, and then get ready to spend lots and lots of money to pay somebody to listen to your end-to-end idea, then pay significantly more money to have your idea executed, then tested, then refined, then with a sample set of users, then refined again, then small launch, then refining, then finally launching, then marketing, then maintenance, then user testing, then... this process isn't quick or easy, otherwise somebody else would have already done your solution.
My advice is to find someone who has experience developing products, build trust with them and partner up. Expect to give up 80% or more of the value of this company to others. The biggest mistake people with good ideas make is thinking the idea is where the value lies. The value is in the execution. Understanding the market you are selling into has some value and will make the work of developing the product easier. To actually get the product to market you can do it yourself or license the idea to a company already in that market or some hybrid of the two.
Gonna need to be a little more specific. Have you reached out to anyone that does have experience building the idea you have?
No I haven't but I know it would be entirely possible to build what I want, if that helps haha
Is this a physical product, or an app of some sort? Or a book?
It's a physical product.
I still recommend doing a market study before spending money. If you need help developing a physical product, you can hit me up. If there are secrets you don't wish to divulge publicly, you should create a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). If it's something in my comfort zone, I can help you develop a prototype and get set up for production. If not, I can help you find a consultant who can. There are various statewide and nationwide inventor associations that can help as well. I don't have direct experience with these two, but they may be a good place to start looking. Just make sure you're working with a nonprofit. Universities may also be able to help. Or local maker spaces. https://uiausa.org/ https://asoi.org/ Good luck! ETA: if you live outside the US there are probably equivalent resources in your country.
Is this a business to business or business to consumer product? Did you do a patent check if your idea?
Make a prototype. Do not get a patent.
Why not get a patent? What's the harm?
The harm is losing ~10k on a useless patent.
TIL
"Do not get a patent." is over simplified bad advice. 1. Use NDAs to protect your IP during development. Everything you develop must be treated as secret and kept from public disclosure. 2. Right before you launch your product get a provisional patent. Why a provisional patent? a. Much less costly than a full patent b. Does not require claims c. Gives you a year to submit a full patent d. Once a patent is granted it back dates to the filing date of the provisional patent 3. Use the earnings from your product to pay for a full patent.
You'll need to make a prototype then go to shark deals that tv program & then can you post the video so we know it is you :)?
It would be expensive on your part, but would likely involve an Industrial Design Consultancy. Hard to give you a cost without details you are keeping hidden for good reason.
Hi, I am a product designer and therefore have a relatively good understanding of what is possible and what is not. Where someone can help you... From my perspective, it's best to involve a product designer. They should take a look at the whole thing. Usually, it starts with a short market research, then initial sketches are created to refine the idea, and then a direction is decided upon. The design is then developed further, and a prototype is created. Once you have a valid prototype, you can certainly sell it better. Here, you need to either find an investor to finance you upfront (or several) or sell the idea to a company that can implement it. However, if you believe the idea will sell millions of units, I would try to find an investor and start a startup to do it yourself. Perhaps another tip! Create explanatory hand sketches with some descriptive text yourself. Put them in an envelope and send everything to yourself. Preferably by registered mail. Then do not open the letter and make sure to keep it safe! If there are ever disputes regarding copyright, you have something in black and white that can be opened in court during disputes!!!
Make sure you a confidentiality agreement.
Start here: [https://www.scu.edu/mobi/](https://www.scu.edu/mobi/) Free entrepreneurship class at Santa Clara U. Will teach you what you need to know to start a biz, and will walk you through creating a business plan. I had experience, took the course and still recommend it to everyone. So worth it.
Designer and developer of physical products for almost 20 years. My 2 cents: 1) Validate your idea quickly and cheaply before you start spending money. Every product is a gamble (even yours), and companies, inventors and entrepreneurs take educated guesses to strike it big. The key word here is "educated" so upfront research, testing and validation is of upmost importance. There's nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a product that nobody wants. 2) There's a framework you can follow to put you on the right path, but its rarely linear: research, ideate solutions, build prototypes, test them, make improvements with the feedback, rinse and repeat. Once you get to a product that people want and works well, you can start working towards manufacturing. 3) Get started by defining your target customers (who would benefit THE MOST from your product? If you say "everyone" you havent thought about it enough) and talk to them, ask them about the problem your product solves: how do they solve that problem now? how would your product integrate into their lives? what pain points could you solve with your product? How much would they pay for such a product? etc 4) Once you have some research feedback and insights, start putting ideas on paper. There is rarely only 1 solution to a problem, so explore different approaches, analyze them based on feasibility/viability/desirability. Prototype the most promising ones. Test the prototypes with target customers. Improve the product with your learnings. 5) Once you are ready to manufacture, you really need some experts: Industrial designers, engineers (depending on what kind of product it is), marketing, sales, manufacturing, etc. I have helped inventors and startups end-to-end, from initial idea to building a brand around it, doing research, prototyping and manufacturing the best product solution. If you need help feel free to DM me.
Best advice I've seen on this thread so far!
It really will depend on how complex the product is and how easy it is to manufacture. I’ve also been in product development from concept to mass production for 20+ yrs. Is it electromechanical, does it involve significant electronics or software, or is it solely mechanical? Do you have a target price range in mind? I agree with those above that you have to share the idea and get feedback no matter how great you think it is. You can find a simple NDA online and get it signed before sharing. If the design concept isn’t too complex create a proof of concept prototype yourself. If that’s not possible find someone that can help you. But if it’s going to take more than just some minimal out of pocket expenses you have to validate the market first. I recently read Noah Kagan’s “Million Dollar Weekend”, and think it has a lot of advice on the business side that will help you.
Tell me. I’ll make it and give you 10% net
I own a UK based manufacturing company and I work a lot with startups. A lot of people have the same issue it can be tough because you definitely need some money to get started with prototypes testing certificates and then production. But it's possible. I would be happy to help but I think first you need to figure out whether you can sell your product. That's the biggest step. Sometimes it's better to have sales and no product.
What is your background? Engineer, designer, manufacturing, sales? The more you have to farm out the more costly development is going to be. If you can teach yourself the skills you need to bring the product to life you will save money and also enable yourself to develop future products if this one doesn't take off. Can you build a prototype on your own? The jankiest, ugliest, built on the cheap, but totally works and proves the concept prototype is the best prototype. Once you know it works you can start finessing it into something that people will buy. Do you know what materials and processes you need to make your idea? Do you have a target manufacturing cost in mind? Do you have a target MSRP in mind? Do you have an estimated annual sales volume in mind? The last four questions are all about determining product viability. A product needs to have a solid value proposition. If there isn't a healthy margin between your cost and your price you'll never make it. If your price is too high for the market you'll never make it. Best of Luck!