Monthly Archives: June 2011

You have a great product idea.  What should you do next?

If you are an inventor or an entrepreneur, you have probably come up with some great product ideas. When these ideas were conceived, you probably envisioned the thousands of people who would buy the revolutionary product. Your second thought might have been to ask yourself “What do I do now to take this idea to the next step?”

Endotracheal Tube Translation Prototype by Leardon Solutions

The team at Leardon Solutions has designed, engineered, prototyped, and manufactured products in the medical devices and diagnostic, health and lifestyle, commercial, consumer electronics, and active sports industries.  Regardless of the product complexity, one of the first things that Leardon Solutions does is to prove that the product idea is technically feasible. It isn’t always necessary to hire an engineering or prototyping company to create your Proof-of-Concept Prototype. Depending on the complexity of the product idea, a Proof-of-Concept Prototype can sometimes be constructed by a handy person, assuming that they have a good understanding of the required function. Also, complex engineering drawings and designs are not always needed since the Proof-of-Concept Prototype can sometimes be made using off-the-shelf components from the local hardware store. For products that are more technically challenging and require engineering skill, you can work with companies such as Leardon Solutions to develop your Proof-of-Concept Prototype.

Apt Innovations Floe Prototype by Leardon Solutions

If your product idea is conceptually and technically simple or complex, Leardon Solutions finds it important to create a Proof-of-Concept Prototype for many reasons. First, as the name implies, the Proof-of-Concept Prototype allows you to validate to yourself that the idea actually works and functions as envisioned. This first prototype does not need to be pretty. Normally, it does not bear any resemblance to your final product since the goal is to only prove it functions and not to prove that it looks nice.

The second use of the Proof-of-Concept Prototype is to act as an aid in obtaining intellectual property such as a patent. It is extremely important that you have the ability to concisely explain your product idea to an intellectual property attorney. The Proof-of-Concept Prototype can help you explain how your product functions while also providing a functioning model that the attorney can use to seek out additional patent claims that might not have been found without the Proof-of-Concept Prototype.

The final use of the Proof-of-Concept Prototype is as a show-and-tell device. Potential investors or patent licensees will typically ask you to show them how your product works. If two investment seekers enter a room, one with a business plan presentation and another with a Proof-of-Concept Prototype, the investor’s eyes will gravitate toward the show-and-tell product demonstration. The prototype adds validity not only to the product but also to you as a business person.

Don’t underestimate the important of a Proof-of-Concept Prototype and don’t try to cut corners by skipping the Proof-of-Concept stage and moving forward without having proven to yourself and others that your idea is technically feasible.