There are common questions that arise when you tell people that you’re an inventor:
“Like Ron Popeil?”
“Like Doc Brown?”
“Like The Nutty Professor?”
“Like that J-Law movie?”
There are so many film and television portrayals of inventors, and a number of cliches that pop up from time to time, that it can be difficult to pin down exactly what a true inventor looks like.
The fact of the matter is that the word “Inventor” conjures up some pretty diverse mental images—from zany, absent-minded professors with “hair-brained” ideas, to down-on-their-luck ne’er-do-wells who happen upon million-dollar ideas out of necessity. There are very few other titles that produce such a variety of invocations. But in reality, that’s what makes being an inventor great and unique, and also what makes the classic Hollywood representations of Inventors accurate in a roundabout way; there is no one type of inventor.
At Enhance, we speak to people from all over the globe who have identified ways to simplify daily living for themselves and those around them using their wits and ingenuity. Of course, some folks get lucky and stumble into it, but that only serves to prove the point.
I was recently asked to describe the prototypical Enhance client—nationality, age, race, average income, etc. While conducting research before giving my answer, I looked through my client files, and realized that it felt like I was coasting through the “It’s A Small World” ride at Disneyland. The diversity was stunning. There is literally no nationality, age group, race, or earning bracket that stands out as being more prolific, innovative, or prominent than any other. In other words, each inventor is an outlier from every other inventor. Astonishing as it may be, this is what my colleagues also found to be true.
However, something else was also evident: each invention submitted aimed to tailor aspects of the average everyday experience for its end-user. Every product idea or concept is intended to make life feel more like a fine-tailored jacket. One that doesn’t pull in the shoulders or hang too far over your wristwatch line; but instead is cut-to-form, accentuates, and eases mobility and confidence. Again, an impressive through-line when you see the large swaths of absolute inconsistency in their purveyors.
The biggest takeaway here, and that thing that I find most awesome and inspiring is that regardless of whether you’ve identified the latest mop technology, developed the Flux Capacitor, created a convenient travel fishing pole, or even just innovated in your own home- then yeah, you are an inventor. You are as much of an inventor as anyone else.
——-
Enhance Product Development is a professional design firm that specializes in launching new products for inventors, entrepreneurs and start ups. For product development inquiries please contact Enhance Product Development at https://enhancepd.com/contact/ or call us at 877-993-6426.
Related Links: