If you’ve never heard of the term “dirty budget”, don’t be alarmed. It’s actually a phrase my mother used to use referring to a “quick and dirty budget”. It means something that works roughly but needs refining. This sort of budget is the budget you turn to in a rush when someone asks you for …
So, you want to be an inventor, eh? Perhaps you have some ideas already, but don’t know what to do now. Invention often doesn’t start with a eureka moment. Instead, it starts out with cursing that something went wrong, quickly followed by tearing apart the problem to find out what’s wrong in the first place. …
We know it’s possible because Insanitek is proof. Grace, our CEO and founder, wrote a wonderful post on what she’s gone through to get this far. However, she’s not the only one making that leap of faith with no money. Forbes shows that it’s also a trend that’s on the upswing with a demonstration of 20 …
There is no right way to invent something. Some people take a slow, methodical route testing theory after theory before ever working with their hands. Some go straight for the supplies and start tinkering. Still, others, and a great majority of inventors, use a combination of the two. There really isn’t a magic ratio for …
So, you’ve had an idea in your head for a while, and you want to turn it out into a product. Do you know how to go about it? There is a certain process cleverly called “the R&D cycle” that walks you through the steps to get your idea from your brain and ready for …
Attention independent inventors! For two days, independent inventors and small business owners will have an unparalleled opportunity to learn, network, and jumpstart their creative endeavors. Experts and senior officials from the USPTO will present valuable information on patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property (IP) matters while successful business owners and inventors will relate their inspiring …
For those of us that do a lot of research and writing for technical companies, it’s useful to have access to academic journals. However, subscriptions to academic journals cost a small fortune. (Coincidentally, it’s also the reason we try to post all the links to free journals we come across.) How, then, can you elevate …
Eventually you’re going to have to pitch your business idea at someone. It’s not easy to do this, and you’re likely going to have to keep trying, refining your pitch every time. To make matters worse, you’re likely going to have to do the infamous “elevator pitch”, which means you have to convince them to …
I found this gem on LinkedIn, by Jon Oringer, the CEO of Shutterstock. In this article, Oringer tells us to struggle to make things work without venture capitalists for as long as possible. Just a note: If you don’t have an account, you really should sign up for a free one. There is a lot …