I am often asked, " Jared, what makes for a great invention?"
There are many valuation services available that will break down an idea into a 100-some point system and outline existing strengths and weaknesses. There is nothing wrong with this approach to answering the question, but I myself would prefer to give a shorter version with the use of real inventions that are on the market today. Using this approach I hope you will discover new insight when thinking about inventions that have made it to the marketplace.
What follows are three badly-designed inventions and four great ones:
BAD: The Bowflex, a wannabe home exercise gym that changed its no-free-weights muscle-building technology enough as not to infringe on Soloflex’s patent rights, only to end up with a product that is bulky, confusing, and less versatile.
GREAT: The Soloflex, talk about clarity in form! One smooth L-frame that pioneered the home fitness concept. It offers more exercises in a 4’x4’ footprint than any other machine on the market and its entire frame is held together with only one bolt.
BAD: The Segway, here we have a classic case of an inventor who fell in love with his invention, but failed to listen and see what his target market was showing him. As much as I respect Dean Kamen, at 10mph for $5000, I think I’ll keep walking.
GREAT: The EgoCycle, all electric, the size of a moped, cool retro design, 23mph for $1000 and if gas were to cost $2.00 per gallon, then by the time you had used $2.00 worth of electricity charging your EgoCycle you would have been able to travel 700 miles.
BAD: The radar guns that gave cops testicular cancer.
GREAT: The Dewalt Heavy-Duty Miter Saw Stand (DW723), now that this product exists there is no point in buying a miter saw unless you are buying this stand with it. The stand folds up into 7.5” x 10.25” x 5.5’ and only weighs 35lbs and yet after completing its 30 second assembly it can hold up to 16 feet of material weighing up to 400lbs with built in adjustable jigs on both sides of the blade. My only regret - I should have invented it!
GREAT: Ionic Air Purifiers, talk about a paradigm shift. Instead of bulky pads that with the aid of a noisy fan catch dust and need to be replaced every six months, why not use an electric current that with no noise will charge three stainless steel blades putting negative ions into the air, attracting the positive ions carrying dust to the air purifier and the dust will stick to the stainless steel blades. When the blades need to be cleaned, just wipe ‘em down with a sock - no filters to replace - ever.
