A Board Certified Patent Attorney

Problems to Products to Profits

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I am NOT alone.

It always amazes me how many people share my same problems (and are on the constant lookout for solutions – i.e. new products – for those problems).

The other day a friend sent me a picture (below) of a bunch of “electricity splitters” plugged into each other…with one power outlet running a dozen or so devices. I looked at that picture and image the inventor of the power strip, getting frustrated at his growing number of devices/limited power sources. And finally inventing a solution that you can find in every office and home around the world.

power outlet

Yes – necessity is the mother of invention.

With that in mind I browsed the internet for more “unorthodox” inventions. Now, it’s easy to laugh at these pictures, and you should. But remember…these people are CRYING for solutions to their problems (and in many cases people have paid MUCH MORE for a better solution).

beer chiller

Nobody likes drinking warm beer

beer holder

The age old dilemma: How to hold your drink if your hand is broken

drink holder

And of course, addressing the problem of not enough cup holders.

Remember, people have problems that they need solved. Whereas these three inventions show how people took the cheap way out…there are people out there willing to spend good money to solve
their problems.

Case in point, the other night I was having dinner at a friends house. This particular friend loves wine and thinks nothing of spending $100 on a bottle of wine. And then there are the fancy wine bottle openers, the expensive glasses, and other assorted nic-nacks.

One in particular is the Thermoelectric chiller.

beverage chiller

Essentially, it keeps your bottle of wine at a controlled temperature. Cost – $109.

I asked him why he just doesn’t use a bucket of ice water (cost – maybe $10). It gets the bottle wet, was his answer.

He was happy to spend ten times as much to keep his bottle of wine cool, just so the bottle would not get wet. There is an important point there. Solve a problem and people will gladly pay (just don’t forget to patent it so you don’t have any competition!)

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