Who knows how many great inventions never saw the light of the day for the fact that those who came up with them had no means to actually bring them to life.
But, those days seem to be over now. We live in the 21stcentury where modern technology allows us to be creative and turn our creative ideas into reality.
The first and arguably the most difficult thing an inventor needs to do when he/she comes up with an idea is to pitch it to investors. The good news is that getting funded these days is not as hard as it was just a few decades ago. These days, you have the internet, which connects you to people from all over the world. And the chances are that some of them might be interested in your invention.
There are many crowdfunding websites out there, e.g. Kickstarter, which allow those with brilliant ideas to get in touch with those with the funds. The thing about these sites is that you’re pitching your idea to a bunch of people. Actually, anyone has the right to invest in your idea, if they find it potentially profitable.
The problem here is that it’s not easy to persuade a large number of people to invest some money, no matter how small the sum might be.
Pitching Your Idea to the Crowd
Sure, you may have an idea in your mind and it may look awesome there, but in order to get the people to fund it, you need to present it to them the right way. And because “a picture is worth a thousand words” the best thing you can do is present your idea visually.
What this means is that you ought to create a virtual prototype using a CAD software. Once the people see how it looks and what it does, it will become easier for them to decide whether to put some money on it. But if you wish to up the ante, the solution is to create a real prototype. Don’t worry, making one is neither difficult nor expensive. It’s all thanks to a fairly recent technology called rapid prototyping.
The Perks of Rapid Prototyping
For those of you who aren’t familiar with this technology, rapid prototyping refers to a variety of techniques used to quickly create a scale model with the help of CAD software. Basically, after creating a virtual version of the prototype in a CAD (computer aided design) program, you can use that file to create a real-life prototype.
There are several rapid prototyping services you can use, including 3D printing, CNC machining, vacuum casting, and so on. What all these methods have in common is that each of them can create a realistic prototype with all the details you wish it to have, no matter how tiny they might be.
The best thing about this is that creating a physical version of the prototype costs much less than you’ve probably expected. It’s because rather than buying your own equipment, you can have a rapid prototyping company do all the work for you.
