Category Archives: Creativity

Inventing – The Road(s) Not Traveled

Posted on 05/03/2017 by ideaworth

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost The above poem,one of the most oft quoted from poet Robert Frost, resonates with millions more … Continue reading →

Posted in Career choices, Creativity, Ideas, Innovation, Invention, Licensing, Marketing, Patents, Road not traveled, Robert Frost, Setbacks | Leave a comment

Cutting the Gordian Knot to Inventing Success

Posted on 02/04/2016 by ideaworth

The Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (disentangling an “impossible” knot) solved easily by loophole or “thinking outside the box” (“cutting the Gordian knot”). The iconic Gordian knot is analogous to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Focus, Focusing on the right problem, Focusing on the wrong problem, Ideas, Innovation, Invention, Marketing, Problem-solvers, Simple solutions, Surveys, Why inventors fail, Why inventors succeed | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Inventing as a Career

Posted on 12/08/2015 by ideaworth

Many parents have heard these fateful words from their sons or daughters: Mom and Dad, I’m dropping out of college to become a ——— Fill in the blank with actor, rock star or inventor. All three endeavors have one common thread: … Continue reading →

Posted in Career success, Creativity, Focus, Ideas, Invention, Keys to Success, Persistence, Resourcefulness, Strategy, Why inventors fail, Why inventors succeed | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lonely Inventor: They’ll Never Understand

Posted on 10/11/2015 by ideaworth

As I mentioned in a previous post, inventing is chaotic and confusing compared to other careers. Inventing is a lonely endeavor and one your friends and colleagues will never understand no matter how you try to explain it. Lonely Days and … Continue reading →

Posted in Career success, chaos, Creativity, Ideas, Innovation, Licensing, Marketing, Persistence, Royalty rates, Strange lives of inventors, Struggling inventor, thriving in chaos | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Technology: the Career Blender

Posted on 09/30/2015 by ideaworth

Technology continues to evolve at an exponential, ever increasing rate. For many of us, technology is a good thing that has brought great gadgets into our everyday life: the Internet, MP3 players, eBook readers, tablets, and the ubiquitous smart phones. Things … Continue reading →

Posted in Career blender, Career success, Creativity, Digital economy, Keys to Success, Knowledge worker, Salaried workers, Technology advances | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Inventors: Become Curious Observers

Posted on 09/15/2015 by ideaworth

I have observed that engineers, accountants, architects and other professionals who put many long, hard hours not only into their profession, but into continuing educations to maintain their skills in the marketplace. Makes perfect sense: to succeed and advance in … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Ideas, Innovation, Invention, Keys to Success, Patents, Paths for your product, Problem-solvers, Product success, Strategy, Why inventors succeed | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Inventing: It Takes a Team

Posted on 07/12/2015 by ideaworth

Picture Thomas Edison, toiling away in the late evening hours trying one after another type of filament in his new invention to turn electricity not into heat, but into light. He just tried another filament that looked promising, but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Career success, Creativity, Marketing, Patent Search, Patent strategy, Product development, Product success, Prototypes, Resourcefulness | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Begin with the End in Mind

Posted on 06/23/2015 by ideaworth

Rule #2 from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Begin with the end in mind. This advice is particularly relevant for inventors.  Being laser focused upon what you want to achieve will guide you to success more quickly. I wish … Continue reading →

Posted in Core competency, Creativity, Focus, Invention, Invention failure, Keys to Success, Paths for your product, Persistence, resilience, Strategy, Visualize your success | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Inventing on a Limited Budget

Posted on 04/01/2015 by ideaworth

There are many challenges to inventing, not the least of which is: how to succeed on a limited budget. Patents are expensive – approximately $5,000 – $10,000 or more (depending on invention complexity). Developing, marketing, and bringing your own product … Continue reading →

Posted in Career success, Creativity, Crowd funding, Financing an invention, Ideas, Invention, Keys to Success, Licensing, Patents, Why inventors succeed | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Habits of Successful Inventors, Part 2

Posted on 12/17/2014 by ideaworth

As I finished the last post, The Habits of Successful Inventors, I immediately realized there was more to be written on the topic. I discussed how successful inventors have behaviors, different from typical workers, that  serve them quite well: Discover ideas … Continue reading →

Posted in Conscious mind, Creativity, Ideas, Invention, Keys to Success, Subconscious mind | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment