Senior citizens have the right stuff for inventing great products
Age and experience matters. Remember as little kids, how we marveled at how smart our parents and grandparents were? Well, it appears that we were right all along. When we looked back at AON Invent’s first ten (10) years in business, we made a fascinating discovery. Senior citizens have the right stuff for inventing. It’s true. Age and experience matters, so much that on average, a person in their 50s is 6-10 times more likely to invent a commercially viable product, than someone in their 20s or 30s. And education doesn’t appear to make nearly as much difference as one’s life experience.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of successful inventors find their inspiration in work-related experiences. Their inventions often focus on improving an existing product or process. We should note that work-experience isn’t limited to “paid” employment. Recreational gardeners, crafters and woodworkers have come up with amazing products to improve the “work” they do for enjoyment. And this age-advantage continues to improve as we get older, unless disrupted by a debilitating mental state. And one last fascinating observation: The group with the best overall win-loss score are members of the 70-plus crowd. Yes, that is absolutely true.
Note: These observations were made in reference to concepts for “hardline” consumer goods, excluding high-tech products and devices over a ten-year period.