Idea vs Invention: A while back, we met with a creative, energetic young man who was passionate about an idea that he had for a safety device that could prevent children from drowning. During our consultation, I could tell that he had given a lot of thought to what his invention did in terms of […]

The value of a complaint:When I was fourteen years old growing up in Rolla, Missouri, my orthodontist, Dr. Royce G Thomas, DDS, MS offered me what had to be one of the best jobs any fourteen year-old ever had. I worked in his lab, making plaster models of his patients’ teeth, developing x-rays, and making […]

Advice for Inventors This is an excerpt from an email from a consumer-product designer, who is also a repeat customer of AON Invent. His testimonial offers some great advice for other inventors… “As an inventor myself, I have the advantage of being able to design and engineer my own innovations. That is a big help […]

Two Invention RulesRules were made to be broken, right?  Read on and see if you feel like breaking or keeping these two invention rules. How does one make the inventing process easier? Why does one invent? Wherein does the benefit of the invention lie?Invention is not some magical gift imparted to a few illuminated ones. I […]

Are you an inventor who is trying to figure out how to market your invention?  In previous posts, we have covered the expense of taking a product to market: design, engineering, prototyping, testing, tooling, manufacturing, warehousing, branding, advertising, and marketing and distribution.  If that doesn’t overwhelm us would-be inventors enough, let’s consider the fact that […]

Considerations for funding for your invention.It has been jokingly said that FFI is the first stop for an inventor with an idea and in need of validation and funding. Haven’t heard of FFI?  Sure you have: it’s Family, Friends, and…. idiots.Untold millions of dollars are spent on product development each year based on recommendations from the […]