Why a Network Is an Inventor's Greatest Resource

The stories of the lone scientist having a flash of brilliance that leads to a great discovery are very romantic but generally not accurate. Einstein may have thought up relativity theory on a train sipping a beer but he did so from the data of some equally intelligent men and women. Edison was an industrial mogul that had a team of scientists helping him with his work. The inventor’s mind may be filled with sparks of brilliance but it takes a network to turn them into a self-perpetuating flame.

The Think Tank

Misery loves company but so does genius. The creative mind needs others of the same ilk to help inspire, pushing the limits of solo thinker. In Miami Florida, a converted warehouse has become a local think tank called The Lab Miami. Their mission is to grow the entrepreneurial ecology that is associated with invention. If you are not in South Florida then find an open-space think tank or develop your own. You do not need everyone to be working in the same field but they do need to be likeminded in their endeavors for creation.

Social Media Importance

Like more than a billion people worldwide, scientists are finding the benefits of social media. An industry conference may give you an audience of a couple of hundred people where Facebook can give you several million. Inventors are using the medium to transform from smart misanthrope to advocate of the creative and intellectual processes. By establishing yourself as an expert in the field, you increase your opportunity for funding as well as develop a network of potential supply chain channels.

Prototyping & A-B Testing

Every inventor needs to go through the prototyping and testing processes. At the end of 2014, Gerald Strickland developed a new type of secure footwear for sport rowers. In collaboration with rubber product manufacturer Apple Rubber, Strickland created the prototype that is being tested for the next three months. After that, he will take the feedback, make modifications, and start the testing process again until it is acceptable to bring to market. After the initial idea, invention becomes an exercise in surrender, giving yourself over to the testing process and removing your ego from the method.

The Patent Problem

In his article The Myth of the Sole Inventor, author and Stanford law professor Mark Lemley illustrates the problem with our current legal theories of patent law. The laws assume that a single inventor has created a product but the reality is that most creations are developed simultaneously by two or more people. Many inventors try to keep their ideas close to the vest, fearing that someone steal them. In doing this, we make it so that we have no paper trail in the case of simultaneous patents. Use your network to develop a living document of your achievements in the event that legal action needs to be taken.

The Funding Game

Of course, you need money to make your idea into a reality. The new idea of crowdfunding has made this possible. Forbes magazine recommends the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Crowdfunding has changed the way that inventors develop their products but it does depend on having a robust network. When all is said and done, it is an idea, people, and money that will make your invention a success.