Invention convention

Reporting from Podunkville, Minnesota! Home of the world's oldest adult science fair (invention symposium). Last night we placed silver in awards for our machine, which isn't best. Meh. It's hard to compete our exercise machine with a wheelchair improvement or the system that prevents firefighters from backing over their firebuddies with the big red truck.

What I've learned so far:
1) We know more about what our next step should be than we thought we knew.
2) Inventors are weird
3) If the people we've been talking to at our exhibit represents the average American, I now understand how idiot politicians keep getting elected.
4) I am not an inventor. I'm a scientist and Paul's a PT. No more invention conventions for us. Let's just leave it at that.
5) Our patent was the best thing we could have done for ourselves.
6) I totally wanna pay someone to do the foot work for pursuing our license approach. No time for Do-it-yourself.
7) Chances are we won't "get rich" on licensing our exercise machine.

This has been somewhat enlightening but I can't say we'll do another invention expo. But we did learn that the scienific basis behind why our exercise machine is hard to communicate to the lay person. That's a problem for the lay American. May not be a problem for medial/rehab professionals. That leads me to:

7) Our machine would probably do better with a target market of rehabilitation rather than home gym. Because on one hand, our machine's scientific advantage may be lost on the lay person so why should they buy it over any of the other exercise machines on the market? On the other hand, the American public does buy every crappy exercise machine type put there (who cares if it works) if it's flashy and cheap enough. So I guess it could go either way.

Our next step is to get an updated market research plan and then hire a reputable licensing firm to pursue it for us. We've found a few potential agents out here and it looks like they charge no real up front fees, but charge 20-30% commission on the final license payment they negotiate for you. Sounds good to me.

Paul and Ken are staying till tomorrow morning but I'm headed home tonight. Anna's dance recital is tomorrow at 3pm. If all goes according to planned, we should all be there to watch her twirl and hop on stage in her bright crazy stage make-up. On Paul's birthday!

Out...