How to Come Up With a Profitable Invention (Part 1)

Identifying a Problem

When you decide you are going to come up with a brilliant invention idea, you are planning an invention; this is different from having an epiphany one day. Well, if you are interested in inventing, then you have come to the right place, here is an article to get you started and generally guide you through the invention process. The first step in coming up with a profitable invention idea is identifying a problem in society.

Finding a Problem

First, you have to find a problem. What is a problem? I think most everyone knows what a problem consists of, especially a problem when we are on the subject of inventing. A problem is anything that hinders one from reaching a desired goal or object. There are problems all throughout our society, as you know. You probably encounter around 20 problems a day and most likely openly complain about half of them. Up until now you haven't noticed when you did this, but going through day to day life as a human is your number one supplier for good problems. Listen to yourself, when you complain think about if it could be fixed with a nice invention. It's hard to be focused enough to notice when you complain or see a problem; however, with some practice, it starts to become more noticeable. Also, I recommend carrying around a little journal or using a phone to document these ideas when they come to you.

When looking to identify a problem there is also another resource that is readily available - people around you. This might include your co-workers, friends, family, etc. People naturally complain, you hear this every day, and up until now you thought it was a bunch of annoying non-sense. Everyone thinks it's stupid and unproductive; I have read many psychologists explain people complaining as being some kind of human emotional need for love or some other bull crap. Well, I have developed my own explanation for why people complain. People complain in order to make advancements. People locate problems and vocalize the need for the problem to be solved, thus we have an invention idea or advance in technology. So, listen to the people around you, they will tell you problems they have in their lives. This can be even harder to do then listening to yourself, because we have been conditioned to not pay attention to people complaining.

The internet is a great source for information, use it. People have a problem; they post it on the internet. This is similar to listening to people around you, it's just people that are farther away. There are thousands of blogs and forums where people have jumped on the internet and posted a problem they are having. Go on Google and search for household problems or something along those lines and you will surely find something. Also, as I talk about later, a great problem to identify is one that causes death; therefore, it could be beneficial to search online for things that are causing a death toll every year. If you start to master using these three sources of information for identifying problems, then you will soon have too many problems to remember.

Is the Problem Common?

Just so there is no confusion, you do want the problem you identify to be common. You don't want to be the only person having that problem, or else the invention idea you come up with to solve that problem will only be useful to you. There are a couple of simple ways to decide whether a problem is common:

1. Ask people you know. Talk to your friends, co-workers, family, and just anyone you know and see on a regular basis. Ask them if they have the same problem. You don't have to tell them you are thinking about coming up with an invention idea to solve it, just ask, "Man, I hate it when (blank) happens. You ever have that problem?" This is a simple way to see if a problem is common without telling people about your inventing plans.
2. Again, use the internet! If the problem is common, then a thousand people have already posted about it on the internet. Do a search on Google, and see if the problem turns out to be very popular.
3. Last, you can hold a survey. Go to a place that consists of a lot of people whose attention you can get, such as school, and ask them to raise their hand if they have this problem. This can be a little more intimidating to some people, and it will definitely reveal you are up to something. That being said, it is a great way to get fully submerged in your project.

Don't take this step lightly; it is very important that your problem is common. A profitable invention idea has to appeal to a large amount of people.

Has the Problem Already Been Solved?

Obviously, this is also a very crucial thing to recognize. Solving a problem is going to do you no good if there is already something that solves it. So, you have to do a little research to verify that your problem is free for you to solve. As you would probably guess, a great place to start is the internet. At this point you have probably already searched for your problem on the internet, so hopefully if it is obvious that it has been solved, then you would have already noticed. I would do a more detailed search to make sure you didn't miss anything the first time.

Next, it would be wise to do a patent search. You can do a patent search online at the USPTO's website or with a patent attorney. I would recommend just searching online as it will be cheaper and easier. Searching for a problem rather than an invention is pretty difficult, so it may take a while. Also, you can try searching an obvious invention idea that applies to that problem for better results.

Also, I find it helps a lot to ask around. A lot of times someone will say something like "I think I have heard about something that does that," or something along those lines. Don't forget the value of people.

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