February 2015
And they asked me how
I did it; and I gave 'em the Scripture text,
"You keep your
light so shining a little in front o' the next!"
They copied all they
could follow, but they couldn't copy my mind,
And I left 'em
sweating and stealing a year and a half behind.
— Rudyard
Kipling, The "Mary Gloster"
Richard McVicker, member of the Indiana Inventors
Association for 40 years, patent illustrator at Barnes & Thornburg LLP for
49 years, and patent-holding inventor for 54 years, graciously shared his
hard-won insights into innovation with us.
- Spend money to get a good prototype of your invention, but try to save on everything else. A good, tested prototype helps you understand your invention and helps you explain it to others (patent attorney, investor, manufacturer, customer, etc.). For example, Mr. McVicker invented and patented a 10 foot tall yard light, advertised it at the Indiana Home and Garden Show, then installed it in a yard. Only after the installed light had been exposed to a hot Indiana summer did it become clear that the sun would bend and disfigure the post (made of polyvinyl chloride, PVC).
Don’t get in over your head and
spend a lot of money on lawyers and manufacturing during the early days of your
invention. You may think your invention
is a great idea, but who else does? In
these days of rapid reverse‑engineering, a patent can be very useful, but does
not guarantee a best-seller. Test your
invention under real world conditions and ask members of your target consumer
group for their honest opinions. Which
brings us to the next point.
- You can’t afford to educate the public. Mr. McVicker developed 3 remarkable thumb picks that solve recognized longstanding problems in the music world. But the picks don’t sell well in stores. Benefits become apparent only during use because the picks resemble standard picks. Yet the picks don’t attract attention because they are more expensive than their look-alikes. Salesmen would rather spend their time trying to sell a high-profit instrument than to explain the benefits of a low-profit pick.
One exception to this rule is marketing
and selling over the internet. Mr.
McVicker’s video and Web site educate the public in an
affordable way, 24 hours a day, every day.
As a result, he is selling picks worldwide.
The hardest sale is to a retail
consumer because educating the public is so time consuming and expensive. Sales are much easier if you invent a part or
attachment for an existing product that the current seller will sell to an
existing market for you. Or invent a
solution to a recognized industrial problem; fewer people to educate, easier
sales.
- Let love motivate you. If you love some part of the world, you will naturally want to help people there with the hardships they face. If you love innovation, you will use that path to solve their problems. Invent to make their lives easier or better and they will join you in your enthusiasm for your invention. The result can be a little profit for you, jobs for many, and happier lives for even more.
Mr. McVicker fell in love with a
woman who became his wife and helped him fall in love with bluegrass music and
with playing a banjo. That love led to
his inventing thumb picks which make life more enjoyable for musicians
(including those with deformed hands) and their audiences and which provide
jobs for a few people.
Inventors tend to fall in love with
their inventions. But, if not totally
indifferent, the world will see the flaws.
If only a desire for money motivates you to invent and innovate, you may
find that you exagerate the value of your invention and spend all of your money,
time, and personal relationships grasping at straws.
- Don’t give up, but don’t go down a rabbit hole.
Successful innovating requires
balance. On the one hand, like Thomas
Edison said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Most innovators find that successfully
marketing their inventions takes all they can give. So don’t quit just because you must try hard.
On the other hand, weigh the risks
and benefits of innovation. If your
invention has a fatal flaw, or if long hours of innovation will result in the
loss of your loved ones, the sooner you adapt and improve your invention and your
life, the better off you will be.
Mr. McVicker developed his interest in inventing as a
child. He nurtured it as an engineer at
PR Mallory, where he thought of the now-famous name “Duracell” and invented the
first 3-position snap switch, invented a method of painting names onto
batteries, and invented a windshield sun shield having a negator spring. During his career as a patent illustrator, he
continued to invent independently (see below).
Now retired, he recently applied for a patent on the latest improvement
to his thumb pick. Isn’t that a labor of
love?
Thank you for your
good advice, Mr. McVicker!
Patents held by Mr. McVicker