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Ask HN: Innovating under pressure
Hey guys,
I'm currently taking a class where we are supposed to invent thing. There are many problems with it.
However, most unavoidably, no matter how many ideas I come up with, a google patent search turns out an applicable application.
I know that the ethos here is that everyone can come up with lots of ideas and turn it into a company, but have any of you ever run into this problem? What should I do?
Thanks for any advice guys!
- sam_in_nyc 18y agoUnless your class is to "invent a company," I wouldn't sweat the fact that there are patents on the ideas you've come up with. At any rate, I've been told that it's not too hard to differentiate your idea enough to file a new patent yourself. If you can significantly improve the existing patent, or implement it through different means, then you should be alright. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have an awesome IP lawyer. I have no personal experience on the matter of patents other than filing a provisional patent.
- SapphireSun 18y agoI've said this in another of my replies, but the major problem isn't that we need to invent something ( that is easy ). We need to change the world somehow. Making an incremental improvement on a patent isn't allowed, (despite the disconnect with the real world). I suppose some of my problem is that this is an extremely high bar. We are trying to find a major problem in the world to solve that hasn't been solved that we could feasibly examine within the time frame of a few months. Perhaps this isn't the best forum to ask this question in because everyone here is an entrepreneur. If they knew of such a problem, they would be working on it themselves :-). If someone feels generous though, I would welcome any advice on where to look!
- jwilliams 18y agoMaybe it's easier to come up with an improvement to an existing invention? It's still an invention in either case... Just pick something you're familiar with and brainstorm the issues with it (and possible innovative solutions naturally).
- SapphireSun 18y agoPart of the problem is that the professor does not want just any invention, he wants us to "change the world". We have to find a major problem in the world, and invent something to deal with it. His standards seem to be very arbitrary as to what qualifies. Does anyone here knows of a major problem in the world ( other than obvious ones like generically unclean water )? Finding these through web searches is difficult to say the least :-)
- trapper 18y agoWhat subject areas are you interested in the most?
- SapphireSun 18y agoPersonally, I would love to invent something for space, but I doubt that it would fly in my class. We are focusing on energy production, but so many people are working in this area that there are very few low hanging fruit left.
- trapper 18y agoWhats your email address? If you want to be able to patent it I can give you a start on a few ideas that haven't been done.
- SapphireSun 18y agoThank you! I would would love to hear your ideas so long as they won't jeopardize your own goals :-) I updated my profile to show a slightly garbled email address.
- trapper 18y agoI have no plans to commercialize many of my ideas. Hundreds just sit in envelopes & notebooks. I can't figure out the "hack" you speak of in your profile. Viewing source makes no difference - there is no additional information to work with? Perhaps I am missing something?
- SapphireSun 18y agoI changed it to a standard format. Sorry about that!
- trapper 18y agoUmm... it's still missing?
- Tangurena 18y agoI recommend you take a weekend and read up on TRIZ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZ
- SapphireSun 18y agoThis is very interesting. Thank you for the link!