It's possible to test whether an invention idea is worth pursuing. Simply talk about it with people around you and carefully observe their reaction in the first few seconds after you explain it. This little test may seem simplistic, but it generally works quite well, as long as you use your powers of observation. At least, it worked for me. Of course, your loved ones won't want to disappoint you and will tell you that you have a good idea. However, it's the very first few seconds of their reactions that always reveal their true feelings, and you can trust them.

 

If your idea targets a specific industry, it's obviously advisable to present it to people who are familiar with that field. It would have been quite pointless, for example, to approach people who had never gone jogging to talk to them about my dumbbell-shaped water bottles for joggers.

 

When the reaction from people affected by a problem is positive, tell yourself you're on the right track and continue your research. If the reaction is negative, be wary, although it's always possible that people haven't fully grasped your idea. Make further attempts, keeping in mind the possibility of abandoning the idea when it comes time to invest. It's important to understand that there's no foolproof method for validating an idea. Just remember Pepsi's Incola. They conducted every possible test and market research before launching this colorless liqueur, which was a resounding failure.

 

If you haven't yet found a concept worth investing your time and money in, it might just be a matter of time. By identifying a problem, you may have found your trigger, because most of the time, inspiration comes from our immediate environment and the situations we regularly encounter that demand a solution. The first concept might not be the right one, but the more you develop, the more ideas will come. There are months when I can have two or three good ideas that are worth pursuing.

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There are several little tricks to exercise your brain, develop your imagination, and improve your concentration. Personally, I always suggest to those who ask me how to come up with a good invention idea that they create a board game based on a subject they're passionate about. For example, if I take the 100-meter race as my starting point, I can already imagine that I'll need a large piece of cardboard on which I'll draw a race track with five or six lanes divided into 100 sections, each one meter long. I'll add tokens, each representing a top runner, and the rules of the game will practically come to me as I work on this prototype. I can then use my imagination to give my game educational, fun, and competitive elements.

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It's possible and easy for anyone to use this method and design games based on building a house, a boat race, or a police investigation. While having fun, you'll challenge your brain and pave the way that will surely lead you to your first invention idea.

 

When you're ready to dedicate time and money to an idea that seems to have interesting commercial potential, establish the criteria that will define your invention from the outset. You must determine its price, size, weight, and the materials to be used—all elements that you should write down in a notebook. This exercise will allow you to review your criteria from time to time and check if you're meeting them. Furthermore, you'll be able to memorize them and try to find solutions based on these same fundamental criteria.

 

In reality, this is the most laborious stage of the invention process. Since it can't be limited by time, it generates disappointments and frustration, but also joy when solutions finally emerge. You have to learn to be very patient and, above all, continually remind yourself that the solution exists and that you will find it. This is the step that makes a person an inventor, but don't forget that until you've found a solution to each of the problems your invention poses, you won't be able to move on to the next step. I made this mistake myself when I presented my bicycle rack to Anchor Plastics, even though I wasn't entirely satisfied with the result of my brainstorming.

 

Furthermore, always carry a notebook with you in which you can jot down a solution that might come to you unexpectedly. I remember, in fact, that it was at three in the morning, while on patrol, that I solved the problem with my Jog'O shoes when I saw the "D" of the Dominion company. Solutions appear when you least expect them, and when you have a pencil handy, all you have to do is make a quick sketch and later transfer it to your drawing board.

 

If, on the other hand, your solutions perfectly meet your basic criteria and fully satisfy you, you can then move on to the next step, which is the sketching stage.

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