Establishing yourself as a pioneer and earning a reputation as a tech inventor is no easy task. It requires a lot of trial and error, meaning it typically requires a lot of failures. However, the allure of earning your place in the history books is great, and success could be life-changing.
Below, we’ve listed six tips to help you change the way you approach inventing that may just provide your “eureka” moment.
1. Build an MVP
Building an MVP is the best way to get going right off the bat. MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product.
Think of an MVP build as taking baby steps toward a game-changing invention. This allows you to work in smaller portions, run it by other people to see if it is usable and works well, and then you can move on to the next piece in your build.
Building a complete product only to see it collapse under the weight of its own contradictions is devastating and all too common. Start by building an MVP to avoid this grim fate.
2. Develop Thick Skin & Be Persistent
In addition to developing your invention, you will also have to develop a thick skin. If you’re pitching your product, you have to expect and accept negative feedback rather than let it discourage you.
There comes a time in every tech inventor’s life when they start feeling like the product is going nowhere and that nothing is working. When this happens, you may want to take a step back to refresh your mind, but do not ever quit what you are doing. Stay persistent, and you will definitely hit your breakthrough.
3. Have Only One or Two Focuses
One of the biggest problems young inventors have is that the sparks of ideas just won’t stop flying. They want to invent a million different things for a billion different people. This is a great way to solve zero problems for zero people and waste years of your life.
It is wise to focus on only one or two projects and build your experience in these fields. If you have a great idea when you’re halfway through an otherwise promising project, shelve it and keep working on your core focus.
4. Find a Mentor
Having a mentor to help you is a great way to develop your skills further. They can show you better trial methods and guide you on how to sell your products and ideas. Joining an inventors’ group is a great way to find someone who may be willing to mentor you.
5. Join Startups to Gain Experience
You may also consider joining a startup in your field. This lets you meet like-minded people and bounce ideas off each other, and it also works as a day job while you’re developing your own project.
Joining a startup company is a great way to help get some experience under your belt, making future clients or businesses more interested in what you offer.
6. Obtain a Patent
If you’ve developed a product, don’t wait around. A patent is an important legal document that you will need to prevent your ideas from being stolen by others. You can get a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. You may also consider hiring a Patent Attorney to help guide you through all the legal paperwork.
You will definitely want to get a patent as soon as possible because it can take a very long time to obtain.
The Takeaway: Patience is a Virtue
Tech innovation is a curious blend of patience, hard work, and inspiration. You’ll need all three to succeed as an inventor.
Build your experience, don’t get ahead of yourself, and above all, never give up!
