I have an idea, now what?

It is a process…(2014)

Introduction• Gabriel Goldstein, BS Computer

Engineering in 2001• Founded and owns Anidea Engineering, a

product development company for 13 years

• Developed dozens of electronic and mechanical systems

• Worked within many startups and small businesses

Context and Disclaimer• Not a lawyer/patent attorney• Based on 18 years experience• Your mileage may vary• I only believe in patents for truly novel

ideas and think the patent system is mostly broken

How Invention Works

Manufacture

Idea

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Idea to Profit Overview

Thinking

Idea

Development

$$$$

$$

Planning / Team / IP Strategy

Prototype

Prototype

License?

Y

NStart a

Company

Secure Funding

Marketing Plan

Consult with SCORE

Ready for Market?

Y

N

Manufacture

Invention

Refine IP

Prototype• Can start out very rough• Many resources these days

– Maker Fairs– Co-working spaces/incubators/accelerators– Interwebs

• Start with arts and crafts• End up with hi-tech methods• Iterative process

Garage and Glue Gun• Everyone can use tools• Sketch• Illustrate• Research• Learn• Experiment• Modify• Create

Professional• Good to have at least a good idea of what

you want (goals, deliverables)• Better to have a written specification• Wide range of resources, tools, and

disciplines• Some offer integrated services beyond

prototype and development• Understand your agreement

Context• Educate and inform

– You won’t be an engineer at the end of this session

• Know some key phrases• Educate yourself further

Mechanical• Lower barrier to entry

– Most can get their mind around it• Great 3D design tools

– Not so great sketching tools• See how it will work• Very cost effective • Renderings, pretty pictures, sell sheets

Electronics• Mostly not understood, high barrier to

entry• Great tools for engineers, not great for

non-engineers• Software drives most projects – do you

want to learn to code?

Custom PCB (Electronic Prototyping)

• PCB – Printed Circuit Board• Great resources for quick turn prototypes• Hobbyist and professionally built• Mostly out of reach• Know your strengths, this is likely not one

of them

Embedded Software• Little understood, medium barrier to entry• Good hobbyist resources for tinkering• Everyone should learn to code a little• CODE.ORG

Typical Prototyping (Mechanical)

• Mills, lathes, machine shop tools• Setup is time consuming/costly• Involves very skilled crafts people

Rapid Prototyping (Mechanical)

• Term is Mechanical in nature• Think Star Trek Replicator• Many different technologies• Medical parts to rocket engines

SLA• Stereolithography• Additive technology• Uses lasers to cure (harden) liquid in a vat

SLS• Selective Laser Sintering• Additive manufacturing• Laser fuses small plastic particles

FDM• Fused Deposition Modeling• Latest revolution• Melts plastic and places it where it should

cool

Conclusion• More questions than answers?• Have lots of ideas.• If you see find your idea, that’s a great

sign! You just saved a ton of money and you are thinking on the right track.

Resources• Startup Palm Beach

– http://www.startuppbc.com/ /

• SparkFun– https://www.sparkfun.com/

• Arduino– http://arduino.cc/

• Sketch Up– http://www.sketchup.com/

• TinkerCad– https://tinkercad.com/

References - Links• Documenting Your Idea

– http://www.docie.com/patenting-help/documenting-your-idea/

• Document your Invention or Idea – http://www.veritek.com/Media/EDocs/documenting_the_idea.pdf

• 3 Things You Need to Know About Launching a Product Business

– http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230068

• Launching a Product Business– http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230068

• How to Build a Billion Dollar Business Plan– http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanhall/2012/08/26/how-to-build-a-billion-dollar-business-plan-10-top-points-2/