Invent, Innovate, and Prosper: The Creator's Guide

By Michael Colburn

Every creator and inventor needs a process and

tools to work on their creative ideas, map out solutions, and plan their product or business launch.

Creating new products, serv

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inventing Pathways Publishing LLC
• Release date: May 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781733770880

Michael Colburn

Michael G. Colburn has spent more than forty years founding and running businesses based on creativity and design. In 2005, he and his wife, Mary Esther Treat, launched Ideas Well Done, a firm that focused exclusively on inventing new products and launching them into the marketplace. Mike has created more than twenty-five inventions and has had patents issued in multiple countries. Mike and Mary Esther are retired and live in Vermont.

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Praise for

Invent, Innovate, and Prosper

Colburn is extremely thorough in covering the steps necessary to be a successful inventor. Highly recommended.

—Crystal R.

Guides the reader through the innovation process step-by-step with readable language and a sprinkling of humor to keep his book enjoyable while being thoroughly educational.

—Carl W.

What is so fantastic about this book is how simple and accessible it is.

—Hanna B.

Einstein, Tesla, Edison—some of the world’s best creative minds and inventors. What did they all have in common? The unique and communicative mindset that Michael Colburn masterfully guides his readers to.

—Kite

Invent, Innovate, and Prosper is a really useful and inspiring guide.

—Katherine P.

The power in Colburn’s approach is how he leads the would-be inventor from a simple idea to a well-researched product, and beyond to commercialization.

—Lauren

A fantastic book that will teach you everything you need to know to become an inventor.

—Ed M.

This was a great book . . . reading was easy to follow, pacing was great.

—Tanya

This book covers the ABCs of inventing. . . . well written and goes deep into the main areas that help the inventor through the process of inventing a product.

—Fred F.

An engrossing read . . . using real-world examples and sharing stories of notable inventors, writing is solid . . . also can be used as a tool to help jump-start any creative project.

—Rachel

I would recommend this book for any rookie inventor.

—Ravin M.

[This book] puts the reader on a journey to creating their inventiveness.

—Mark S.

Creates an easy-to-understand roadmap that will help anyone to solve the problems they have identified . . . this book will not only help you in many ways, it will also inspire you.

—Jon E.

I was fascinated by the section where Colburn addresses how to intentionally have a cooperative mind functioning.

—Al J.

A step-by-step method for confronting problems and arriving at practical solutions.

—William K.

I have chosen to print two reviews in their entirety: one because it comes from a patent and invention professional and one because it comes from a contest judge at Writer’s Digest:

Patent Attorney Review

5.0 out of 5 stars: Surprisingly Deep

January 9, 2020

I honestly didn’t think I’d learn much, especially as I’ve been a practicing patent attorney since the Clinton Administration, and worked in the patent field since the first Bush Administration. I was expecting keep a notebook, get it signed, etc. The usual stuff inventing books have in them. But inventing is a hard process. I’ve monetized some of my own patents, and it’s indeed really hard to come up with ideas, patent them, license or assert them, etc. I buy a lot of inventing books because I’m always looking for (but never finding) more about the actual process of inventing—how to have a good idea. Where do you start? What do you look for? What are good practices to get into? Heck, I know how to respond to an office action, but where does the all-important juice come from?? Surprisingly, I found it in this book. Maybe not the only process. But a very good one. One that has worked for the author on many of his inventions, which span from consumer to industrial. So I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the book, which to my mind is virtually the only book I’ve found that goes into any level of depth in the process of inventing. And it goes into a lot of depth. Good work!

Writer’s Digest Judge’s Commentary

Sometimes how-to books provide some great information, but you feel like you could have had more—more examples, more resources. Who knew a book on inventing could be so incredibly thorough that I honestly think it’s the only one someone needs right now who is looking to do this?

Michael’s book is chock-filled with extensive examples of great, and sometimes not-so-great, stories on inventing, and it’s written in a way that’s not dry, which some books like this can be. He breaks up the chapters with sidebars that catch your eye and provides questions that the inventor should ask themselves in order to propel their invention forward.

I really don’t have a lot to critique here. The book’s subhead is A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Inventing, and that’s exactly what he’s provided. I love his use of Sherlock Holmes throughout the book as the hero. If I could critique one thing—and it’s so minimal that it’s laughable—I would say on page 19, Michael says, In closing this section, immediately followed by the next paragraph starting with to summarize. I don’t think either phrase is even needed, but to have both is a little much. That’s it. Otherwise, it’s a very well-written, informative book.

Also by Michael Colburn

INVENT, INNOVATE, AND PROSPER

A Step-By-Step Guide to Successful Inventing

FINANCIAL SUCCESS GUIDE

Time Based Businesses

HOW JULIA FOUND HAPPINESS AND FINANCIAL SUCCESS

Your Guide to Making Money in a Service Business (A Business Love Story)

Contents

Author’s Introduction

• Part 1 •

Mental Preparation

Chapter 1

The Mind of an Inventor

STEP 1: Adapt a mental process and techniques used by inventors.

Worksheet: Goal Setting and Tracking Form

Worksheet: Open-Mindedness Quiz

Chapter 2

Establishing Inventive Directions

STEP 2: Find the problem you will solve with an invention.

Chapter 3

Forming Your Problem Definition

STEP 3: Prepare a written statement describing your inventive problem, the need for a solution, and your commitment to delivering it.

Worksheet: Problem Summary Form

• Part 2 •

Research

Chapter 4

Acquiring Specialized Knowledge

STEP 4: Learn everything you can about your problem.

Worksheet: Library Research Inquiry Sheet

Worksheet: Problem Research Form

• Part 3 •

Creative Thinking

Chapter 5

The Creative Brain and Cooperative Mind Functioning

STEP 5: Assign the tasks of solution to your creative brain.

STEP 6: Use mind messaging to communicate with your creative brain.

Worksheet: Cooperative Mind Messaging

Chapter 6

Creating Inventive Ideas and Potential Solutions

STEP 7: Generate ideas that you can develop into inventive solutions.

STEP 8: Use imagination and visualization to enhance ideas.

Worksheet: Draw Your Problem

Worksheet: Practice Mind Map

Worksheet: Stream of Consciousness Exercise Forms

Worksheet: Imagination and Visualization Sessions

Chapter 7

Messages from the Creative Mind

STEP 9: Learn to recognize and interpret messages from your creative mind.

• Part 4 •

Inventive Steps

Chapter 8

Evolving Ideas into Inventive Solutions

STEP 10: Form testable theories and evaluate the results.

STEP 11: Enhance value and distinguish unique properties.

Worksheet: Inventive Steps

Chapter 9

Assessment and Preparing for Market Success

STEP 12: Evaluate acceptance of your inventive solution.

STEP 13: Assess the industry and companies your solution addresses.

• Part 5 •

Getting Physical

Build It, Test It, Break It, Design It

Chapter 10

Physically Developing Your Invention

STEP 14: Design and build acts like (proof of concept) prototype.

STEP 15: Design your looks like prototype model.

• Part 6 •

Invention Protection

Chapter 11

Invention and Patent Process

STEP 16: Protect your work; patent your inventive solution.

• Part 7 •

Commercialization

Chapter 12

Prepare for Commercialization