4 ms·

Ask HN: Inventing a physical product

5 points by matt1 17y ago

I have an idea for a product that I think would be useful to a lot of people and based on feedback I've gotten, others seem to agree. Web apps make sense to me, but, how do you do you make an idea for a physical product a reality? Say, for example, the idea is for a new type of lumbar support device and that I've made makeshift one out of some wood, duct tape, and pillows from my apartment. Now what? I'm guessing it goes something like this, though I really have no idea: design it on paper... send it off to have it professionally designed... patent it... find a manufacturer that can make it... negotiate with them... buy a couple hundred...sell them on a website...make some entertaining YouTube videos... and profit (hopefully). Anyone been through this process or something similar to it? Where do you start?

brk 17y ago
Been through that a few times. Your path depends on if you want to sell/license a patent (and thus have less control over the end product, company, and profits), or if you want to build a company (which often, but not always, tends to require that you develop more than one product, at least over time). The bigger issue (IME/IMO) is not so much the differences between building a software product and a hardware product on the tech side, but on the legal side. Product liability issues are going to be more "real" when you have a real product, especially if it falls into a pseudo-medical application as your example above does. Your best bet is probably to lawyer up early on and learn the ropes that way. Depending on your friends/family network, you may be able to find a connection to a decent local attorney who would be willing to work with you on a discounted rate in exchange for some share of stock or profit.
- matt1 17y ago
  Sounds like a major pain in the ass. Are you happy that you did it? How did it work out?
  - brk 17y ago
    I've only done the "official" route for various companies I've worked for. Personally, I've created some little "widget" type devices for home automation and similar applications. In those cases, I skipped the whole patent/legal thing, as the product did not have the lifespan or net sales volume to warrant dumping too much money into the project. I just setup a properly manages/documented LLC for liability purposes and went at it. As far as being a pain in the ass, it's all a matter of perspective I guess. I find that releasing actual physical product (typically as a hardware/software combo) is more challenging and rewarding than any sort of webapp. You have to get more things "right" and think more about the consequences of your decisions for short and long term durations when you are putting out a product that you can't fix a defect for by releasing an update to a server under your control. That is not to say that I don't respect or appreciate the webapp stuff, just that I prefer a different set of challenges.
URSpider94 17y ago
I would recommend that you start with a provisional patent application, before disclosing any information to potential partners. A provisional application (which exists only in the USA, to my knowledge) is essentially a placeholder, giving you one year to file the complete application. Since it's essentially a disclosure of the substance of the invention, you can draft it by yourself -- there are sites on-line that will file a self-drafted provisional application for as little as $200. Again, the most important purpose of the provisional application is to capture all relevant features of the invention in enough detail to prove that you are in possession of the invention -- for your lumbar support, you would probably want to talk about the shape and the physical properties (softness, hardness, elasticity) of the materials involved. If you decide that the idea is really worthwhile, you can follow up with a complete patent application (which will cost you a few thousand dollars) any time within the next year. In the mean time, you have some proof in case one of your vendors tries to misappropriate your invention for their own.

5 points by matt1 17y ago

brk 17y ago

Been through that a few times. Your path depends on if you want to sell/license a patent (and thus have less control over the end product, company, and profits), or if you want to build a company (which often, but not always, tends to require that you develop more than one product, at least over time). The bigger issue (IME/IMO) is not so much the differences between building a software product and a hardware product on the tech side, but on the legal side. Product liability issues are going to be more "real" when you have a real product, especially if it falls into a pseudo-medical application as your example above does. Your best bet is probably to lawyer up early on and learn the ropes that way. Depending on your friends/family network, you may be able to find a connection to a decent local attorney who would be willing to work with you on a discounted rate in exchange for some share of stock or profit.

matt1 17y ago
Sounds like a major pain in the ass. Are you happy that you did it? How did it work out?
- brk 17y ago
  I've only done the "official" route for various companies I've worked for. Personally, I've created some little "widget" type devices for home automation and similar applications. In those cases, I skipped the whole patent/legal thing, as the product did not have the lifespan or net sales volume to warrant dumping too much money into the project. I just setup a properly manages/documented LLC for liability purposes and went at it. As far as being a pain in the ass, it's all a matter of perspective I guess. I find that releasing actual physical product (typically as a hardware/software combo) is more challenging and rewarding than any sort of webapp. You have to get more things "right" and think more about the consequences of your decisions for short and long term durations when you are putting out a product that you can't fix a defect for by releasing an update to a server under your control. That is not to say that I don't respect or appreciate the webapp stuff, just that I prefer a different set of challenges.

URSpider94 17y ago

I would recommend that you start with a provisional patent application, before disclosing any information to potential partners. A provisional application (which exists only in the USA, to my knowledge) is essentially a placeholder, giving you one year to file the complete application. Since it's essentially a disclosure of the substance of the invention, you can draft it by yourself -- there are sites on-line that will file a self-drafted provisional application for as little as $200. Again, the most important purpose of the provisional application is to capture all relevant features of the invention in enough detail to prove that you are in possession of the invention -- for your lumbar support, you would probably want to talk about the shape and the physical properties (softness, hardness, elasticity) of the materials involved. If you decide that the idea is really worthwhile, you can follow up with a complete patent application (which will cost you a few thousand dollars) any time within the next year. In the mean time, you have some proof in case one of your vendors tries to misappropriate your invention for their own.