Comments on: Five Steps to Quirky Success http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/ The how to invent a new product headquarters for new inventions by an inventor for inventors. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mark S Singley http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-798 Mark S Singley Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:35:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-798 Hi Stephen- Will do. I'm a marketer and work primarily online now after 25 years on Madison Avenue (many places, many gigs, many clients) and I love that the one thing that I ask folks is "what is the primary rule of marketing?" and they all say "sell sell sell" or some other crap. I say to them NO! "DON"T SELL WHAT PEOPLE AREN"T BUYING!!" Plus, the best ideas are often 2+ 2 together. Not reinventing the wheel. I used to know the guy that invented the LEGGS egg, remember that? I didn't get the story first hand from him, but legend had it around the Agency that he was having a fight with a client and he said "why don't you put the darn thing in an egg and call it the leggs egg! And why, oh why, did it take them 20 years to make a double stuff oreo? "We need a new product idea (imagine suits and creatives around a conference table) big white pad on an easel and magic markers. Now let's BRAINSTORM.. " And some intern who is sheepishly sitting in the back says "er ah you could make the filling double?" Then he gets fired because he made his boss look stupid. And FINALLY! Why did it take them 20 years to make Kentucky Fried Chicken POPems! They probably had focus groups and spent millions in market research to figure out that NOBODY WANTS THE MEAT< WE JUST WANT THE SKIN AND THE COATING!! Even South Park did the episode where Cartman eats all of the skin off. And don't get me started on the remake of Rollerball. Sacrilege! Hi Stephen-
Will do. I’m a marketer and work primarily online now after 25 years on Madison Avenue (many places, many gigs, many clients) and I love that the one thing that I ask folks is “what is the primary rule of marketing?” and they all say “sell sell sell” or some other crap.
I say to them NO! “DON”T SELL WHAT PEOPLE AREN”T BUYING!!”

Plus, the best ideas are often 2+ 2 together. Not reinventing the wheel. I used to know the guy that invented the LEGGS egg, remember that? I didn’t get the story first hand from him, but legend had it around the Agency that he was having a fight with a client and he said “why don’t you put the darn thing in an egg and call it the leggs egg!

And why, oh why, did it take them 20 years to make a double stuff oreo?
“We need a new product idea (imagine suits and creatives around a conference table) big white pad on an easel and magic markers. Now let’s BRAINSTORM.. ”

And some intern who is sheepishly sitting in the back says “er ah you could make the filling double?” Then he gets fired because he made his boss look stupid.

And FINALLY! Why did it take them 20 years to make Kentucky Fried Chicken POPems! They probably had focus groups and spent millions in market research to figure out that NOBODY WANTS THE MEAT< WE JUST WANT THE SKIN AND THE COATING!!

Even South Park did the episode where Cartman eats all of the skin off.

And don't get me started on the remake of Rollerball. Sacrilege!

]]> By: Stephen B | InventionAddict http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-793 Stephen B | InventionAddict Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:43:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-793 Here's a trick. Name the invention with the number 1 or letter A. That way when people sort alphabetically it will be at the top. Here’s a trick. Name the invention with the number 1 or letter A. That way when people sort alphabetically it will be at the top.

]]> By: Invention Addict http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-789 Invention Addict Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:42:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-789 Juston, Yes, we are still looking at this blog. The stats lately are off the chart. I voted for your Quirky idea. I just posted about how you can get lost on a site like Quirky. http://www.inventionaddict.com/2011/08/27/invention-contest-sites/ I think there are better ways to get your ideas out. Juston,

Yes, we are still looking at this blog. The stats lately are off the chart. I voted for your Quirky idea. I just posted about how you can get lost on a site like Quirky. http://www.inventionaddict.com/2011/08/27/invention-contest-sites/

I think there are better ways to get your ideas out.

]]> By: Juston http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-788 Juston Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:32:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-788 Hopefully some one is still looking at this blog.... I just submitted an idea to Quirky.  How do you get it on the first or second page of submissions?Mine is buried somewhere between pages 30 and 45.  I'm sure that has to be a key to success, if you aren't on the first few pages, then most likely no one is going to find it. Thanks http://www.quirky.com/ideations/89989 Hopefully some one is still looking at this blog….
I just submitted an idea to Quirky.  How do you get it on the first or second page of submissions?Mine is buried somewhere between pages 30 and 45.  I’m sure that has to be a key to success,
if you aren’t on the first few pages, then most likely no one is going to find it.
Thanks
http://www.quirky.com/ideations/89989

]]> By: Stephen B | InventionAddict http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-786 Stephen B | InventionAddict Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:03:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-786 Mark, Thanks for joining the discussion. I like the quote by Leonardo. I'm a but disillusioned with Quirky and most other sites that promise to do the hard work for you. I agree, there's no school like the old school. You mention that you are not skilled with prototyping, send me an e-mail and you'll be surprised how affordable it is. I can make CAD models, SLAs and even get tooling made. Mark,

Thanks for joining the discussion. I like the quote by Leonardo.

I’m a but disillusioned with Quirky and most other sites that promise to do the hard work for you. I agree, there’s no school like the old school.

You mention that you are not skilled with prototyping, send me an e-mail and you’ll be surprised how affordable it is. I can make CAD models, SLAs and even get tooling made.

]]> By: Mark Singley http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-784 Mark Singley Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:04:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-784 I'm impressed at their delivery and the refinement of their advertising and brand, but it's the same old invention site to me. Not that they don't have the best of intentions, mind you, but it's a new twist on an old idea. The sad thing is, as you say, an idea is not necessarily good, not necessarily marketable, and not necessarily usable. The hardest part of being a creative type who thinks of ideas is to vet your own thought process and refine what you think is actually feasible. Personally I want to go the old fashioned route, and the only areas I'm not schooled in are prototype fabrication, etc. Nice folks, though. I'll submit a couple of ideas for them just to see what happens. My favorite quote Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else. Leonardo da Vinci Thanks Stephen! Mark Singley I’m impressed at their delivery and the refinement of their advertising and brand, but it’s the same old invention site to me. Not that they don’t have the best of intentions, mind you, but it’s a new twist on an old idea.

The sad thing is, as you say, an idea is not necessarily good, not necessarily marketable, and not necessarily usable. The hardest part of being a creative type who thinks of ideas is to vet your own thought process and refine what you think is actually feasible.

Personally I want to go the old fashioned route, and the only areas I’m not schooled in are prototype fabrication, etc.

Nice folks, though. I’ll submit a couple of ideas for them just to see what happens.

My favorite quote
Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails.
Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly
copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something
else.

Leonardo da Vinci

Thanks Stephen!
Mark Singley

]]> By: inventionaddict http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-211 inventionaddict Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:02:08 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-211 Ari, Thanks for the comments. I agree, Quirky fills a narrow niche. I would suggest that potential submitters take a look at what is currently selling in the Quirky store. Ari,

Thanks for the comments. I agree, Quirky fills a narrow niche.

I would suggest that potential submitters take a look at what is currently selling in the Quirky store.

]]> By: inventionaddict http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-618 inventionaddict Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:02:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-618 Ari, Thanks for the comments. I agree, Quirky fills a narrow niche. I would suggest that potential submitters take a look at what is currently selling in the Quirky store. Ari,

Thanks for the comments. I agree, Quirky fills a narrow niche.

I would suggest that potential submitters take a look at what is currently selling in the Quirky store.

]]> By: Ari Salomon http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-210 Ari Salomon Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:54:37 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-210 great summary. i would add that quirky is not the place for complex electronics. i have seen some submissions that are clearly more complex that what they want to produce. they say anything that can be sold for under $150 is fair game but i think there should be more guidelines for what they are looking for. great summary. i would add that quirky is not the place for complex electronics. i have seen some submissions that are clearly more complex that what they want to produce. they say anything that can be sold for under $150 is fair game but i think there should be more guidelines for what they are looking for.

]]> By: Ari Salomon http://www.inventionaddict.com/2010/02/01/five-steps-to-quirky-success/#comment-617 Ari Salomon Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:54:00 +0000 http://inventionaddict.com/?p=1162#comment-617 great summary. i would add that quirky is not the place for complex electronics. i have seen some submissions that are clearly more complex that what they want to produce. they say anything that can be sold for under $150 is fair game but i think there should be more guidelines for what they are looking for. great summary. i would add that quirky is not the place for complex electronics. i have seen some submissions that are clearly more complex that what they want to produce. they say anything that can be sold for under $150 is fair game but i think there should be more guidelines for what they are looking for.

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