LinkedIn Invention help Question: “I have ideas for inventions. How and where do I start?”

3D printing and invention help Answer: “There are many steps, but if you want to save money you’ll want to do them in the right order. Here are the first 4 steps to get started…

  1. Research: See if the idea exists and also see if there are items that have been patented that are the same. If it exists, is it exactly the same? If not, what makes yours different? Why would someone buy yours over another?
  2. Keep your idea protected. No need to share the exact idea while you do this research. If you do need to, use a solid NDA agreement.
  3. Research the potential your idea has to make money. Roughly what would it cost to make and how much could you sell it for? How many customers could you potentially have, etc.
  4. Prototype – a prototype will not only help you prove out your design but will also lend itself well to figuring our your costs and help when it comes time to patent if you go that route.

Let me know if you have any questions and best of luck!