In the inventor/investor relationship each party cannot really move ahead without the other. The inventor needs the investor's money to get the invention to market and the investor needs the inventor to make them more money.

Making it clear that both roles are necessary for success, the next step is to clearly define the roles in the inventor investor relationship.

First and foremost, this is not a partnership/joint venture. The investor is not a business partner, they are merely investing their money in the inventor's business.

When deciding if one is a good fit to be an investor in the realm of intellectual property they must ask themselves if they truly have the stomach for patience and high risk. Patience due to the time it takes to get an invention to market (See "Flow Chart of Process: Thinking and Production") and high risk due to the rare skill in not only coming up with the winning invention to pursue, but then knowing how to get it to market!

The true reward for an investor of any invention is not only is the return on their investment far greater than other traditional investments, but the pride, passion, and energy surrounding an invention investment truly leaves a feeling in the investor that cannot be had in any other arena.