0, but, i’m waiting for the right moment. I’ll know it when its right. Plus, some of my ideas take years of thinking on. Just when i think i have all my bases covered, an improvement crosses my mind. My fear is to come up with something, spend money and time getting in the market, only for someone to come along and add a doohicky that should have been added before it was ever made in the first place. This is assuming any of my ideas will ever go further than my mind…lol

0.An idea occurs to me
1.Then I spend several hours online often finding that some or several products already exist…so it gets crossed off the list in my notebook.
2.don’t call companys
3.Occasionally E-mail Querys to companys/rarely recieve answers
4.read a lot can’t estimate hours
5.I spend weeks at a time building rough prototypes
6.usually check forums a couple times a day occasionally post a comment
7.rarely
8.at this point i don’t even know what a sell sheet is.
9.occasionally..should probably do more
10.dont even own a tv if thats what QVC is

1. Researching your idea-
Pretty much all my waking hours and most of my sleeping ones. Once an idea gets stuck in my head I am constantly looking for any and all things that relate to it and am thinking about it constantly. I have no choice. Once I get going on it I have to finish it. I get obsessive about it. If I had to give a number of actual go to the store or sit at my computer research I’d easily place it at 2-3 hours a day. I also easily spend 2 hours a day just doodling through a concept any free moment I find I’m sketching away different ways to do what I’m thinking.

2. Making calls to companies-
I have not approached any companies directly yet, but plan to in the future if the right idea arises.

3. Writing ,reading and responding to emails/letters from companies-
I have not approached any companies directly yet, but plan to in the future if the right idea arises.

4. Reading articles/magazines/books on the topic-
I read everything I can find on the topic. I’d say about 30 minutes a day.

5. Building prototypes and testing the product-
This is a hard one. Some prototypes are easy, some complicated. I might spend weeks on one prototype and have a proof of concept prototype done in minutes on another. Most of the time I 3D model my ideas because I find thinking about it in 3D can really make you have to re-think what you did in 2D. Also, by modeling it as opposed to building it I can fix it much quicker when I find problems than I could a real world item.

6. On forums-
45 minutes to an hour a day.

7. Writing and responding to emails/letters from Inventors-
I take them as they come. Some days I’ve spent as much as 2 hours or as little as nothing.

8. Making Sell Sheets -
I don’t really make Sell Sheets but I do spend a lot of time developing 3D renders or detailed illustrations in Adobe Illustrator of concepts. When I’m in the thick of it 3-4 hours a day.

9. Wandering stores looking at other companies products=
I do this constantly. Even when I am not working on an idea. I always look at what is out there and notice anything that is mechanically different and unique and then I think of how I could apply that to anything I could invent. Realistically at least an hour a day probably way more.

10. Watching QVC and HSN-
0. I do not see watching them sell something they way they do on QVC as a real benefit to inventing. I do see that some of the products are innovative but if they are innovative enough I’ll find them on a tech blog or the internet. Watching them say how pretty it is and how it comes in 42 different colors is not going to help me invent the next one.

IMPORTANT: I spend countless hours. Like a sports nut…practicing, watching, learning…it just becomes a way of life for those people that they enjoy and just can’t count up the hours…or do they care to. These are the people that go on to play pro ball and make the millions.

Then there’s the guy that just loved to cook. Countless hours of experimenting, cleaning up, but the smiles from others of appreciation never made them even think of counting up the hours because the time spent did not matter. Want to see these people? Watch the Food network and see these chefs that own a string of restaurants across the country….because they love what they do and preparing food IS their life.

For the inventor it is no different. Inventing or bringing a product to life so people can enjoy or be helped is a way of life for me. I do not want to count the hours because it does not matter. The good news…I’m the type of person that will make it in this field. The bad news….the recreational idea person/inventor will probably not “make the cut” unless they get very lucky.

If you want to be the best at something you have to be TOTALLY dedicated or else simply…someone else will be more dedicated and beat you to the top. If you want to invent the next kitchen gadget…don’t you have to be dedicated to learning about kitchen gadgets more that everyone else to discover the next big new thing?

You have to be a car nut to come up with the next big accessory…no?

To be this dedicated to pull off “the inventors feat” takes countless hours…well…maybe not countless…but do you really want to know?

If you don’t feel this way about inventing, find something else, another field that you can find this kind a passion for…and maybe you will find success there.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

1. Researching your idea-
I always research a little and design a lot at the beginning of any new idea, very important, because to much research at the beginning will prevent me from using my own imagination. I design at least an hour a day, every day.

2. Making calls to companies-
This is where I need some work. If the company heads spoke blue collar, I would be a successful inventor by now. I’m really learning on this website how other inventors learn to communicate with the professionals in this field. I’m not as passionate about this as I am with the actual inventing process.

3. Writing ,reading and responding to emails/letters from companies-
Another weakness of mine. I’m not sure if this is a problem with a lot of idea people, or maybe I just haven’t gone to the next level yet. I am definitely ready to learn!

4. Reading articles/magazines/books on the topic-
I love how to books. Mainly internet searching on related topics 4 hours a week.

5. Building prototypes and testing the product-
Ok, this is where my obsession for inventing can get out of hand. I start prototyping an idea only after I’ve proved it in my own mind on paper. I program CNC mills and lathes for a living, so prototyping is the fun part for me. I’ll start on a project and won’t stop until its done. Morning till night and beyond for sure.

6. On forums-
At least an hour a day.

7. Writing and responding to emails/letters from Inventors-
Man do I have a lot of work ahead of me. I think this is where I could be more aggressive.

8. Making Sell Sheets -
This is new to me. I’m going to start my first sell sheet right away.

9. Wandering stores looking at other companies products-
I’ll purposely set aside one day a week, at least 4 hours just for inventing in the store isle. I wish it could be more. My wife cringes when I say I’m just going to go window shopping.

10. Watching QVC and HSN-
We bought three TV’s from them. I watch both maybe 3 hours a week.

11. Patent searching and writing the patent application using the USPTO website-
An hour a day.

Putting this in writing makes me look a little harder at my weaknesses. Thanks Roger.

Todd, that is one of the reasons I started this thread. The list I made came from emails I get from Inventors and where I see they lack confidence or experience. As you said it does make you look at how you approach things a little more when you see them in black and white. Eveyone is different and excels or has issues with one or more of these topics. Others just don’t spennd any time at all honing their knowledge or skill in these areas.
I have gotten some emails aboutthis post and laughing at the number 10. Watching QVC and HSN. You would be surprised how much you can learn taking time to watch and really look at how they try and pull the viewer into the benefits of the product verbally and visually. Look at the difference how they pitch the product when they have just a few minutes to spend on the product versus when they have 20 minutes. You can also use this as an aid to writing your own sell sheet. Watch a product that comes up record it with the sound down and think what you would say to get a persons attention if you had to pitch that product. Then replay the segment and see if you used any of the points they make and did they miss some points you saw they didn’t. I challenge everyone here to do it and see how well you make out. I am going to put this challnge down as a separate thread in case others miss this thread.

http://www.rogerbrown.net

1. Researching your idea- 20 plus hours
2. Making calls to companies- (I prefer email at this point) 1-2 hours, but working my way up on this.
3. Writing ,reading and responding to emails/letters from companies- 1 hour
4. Reading articles/magazines/books on the topic-5 hours
5. Building prototypes and testing the product-10 plus hours
6. On forums- 2 hours, plus maintaining the Inventor’s Mentors site
7. Writing and responding to emails/letters from Inventors- 3 hours
8. Making Sell Sheets 5 hours
9. Wandering stores looking at other companies products not enough in person yet(1-2 hours), but browse online.
10. Watching QVC and HSN- 2 plus hours

not sure why there’s a line through number nine…just ignore it lol

Thought I would bring this topic back to the front so the new members could take a crack at it.

http://www.rogerbrown.net

All day long Even in my sleep…

today was about researching potential companies product portfolios and sales statistics…over kill maybe but i figure it may help when approaching a company.

Depending on how busy I am, I spent 20-30 hours each week researching, working on prototypes or just trying to come up with new ideas. One day I hope to turn it into 40-60 hours per week, if you know what I mean. Oh, I didn’t count sleep time, add another 40 hours or so.

Roger, I see you are a list guy.
I am a recovering list guy (thank God for Zanex). No offense it’s just that now I’m afraid it’s like smoking cigarrettes, if I have one I’l be back where I was.
I’m not sure how much time I have dedicated to each category but for the last five years I have gone to sleep thinking of this one project and it’s my first thought in the morning.
Throughout the day i have to force myself to stay focused on my job. I hope someday they will be one in the same.
Good subject.

Greg, I tend to make lists when I post things like this that have more than one question involved. Because I get emails from Inventors that are two pages long asking about 14 questions mixed in with the other information and then they want me to answer all 14 questions. Which means I have to cut and paste all the questions out of the email so that I don’t miss them. Because if I miss them they send me another email just as long with even more questions mixed in along with the ones I missed the first time. LOL
So, it is more a self defense tactic.

http://www.rogerbrown.net

Ah ha, I understand.
Much appreciation to you and the rest of the team

1. Researching your idea-40+hours
2. Making calls to companies-(at this time) N/A
3. Writing ,reading and responding to emails/letters from companies—(at this time) N/A
4. Reading articles/magazines/books on the topic- 5-7 hours
5. Building prototypes and testing the product-7-10 hours
6. On forums-5-10 hours but most of this is researching relevant topics
7. Writing and responding to emails/letters from Inventors-2 hours
8. Making Sell Sheets -(at this time) N/A
9. Wandering stores looking at other companies products=3-4 hours-mostly I do online searches
10. Watching QVC and HSN N/A because I don’t ’Do" TV…not enough hours in the day…

11. Brainstorming new ideas- this process is ongoing/ never stops sometimes even when I sleep (note notebook and pen on bedside table)

12. designing and drawing up ideas -continuous between other tasks

13. Sleep (What term is this ….sleep…I am not familiar…does not compute….aarrrggghh….)

I forgot to add to the list spending time at local Home and Garden or other trade shows near or in your town. I spent 7 hours last week at a local Home and Garden show held in our Concert/Convention center. Some very interesting products to see demonstrated. Came up with two new ideas based on problems I heard several people complaining about. Doing research to see if they have merit.

I have noticed one of the first things you start with is ‘calls to companies’. I think I would worry they might like my idea and run with it without me. How can you protect yourself? (I am new to the Forums section – so might have missed a previous answer – also, could be obvious and I am just missing something)?