If you’ve picked up this book and are reading this sentence, you’ve already taken the first step in understanding the process of getting an idea from your head to the market.

I’d personally been introducing new ideas, mostly other people’s, to the North American market for almost 20 years when I decided to bring my latest idea to the market in 2000. Even with all of my past experiences introducing dozens of new processes, component parts, and inventions to the market, I wasn’t prepared for what I was getting into with my own invention. This book is designed to prepare you for your journey into the unknown.

The book is a case study with analysis of my activities: good or bad, smart or dumb, cheap or expensive, that eventually led to the sale of my idea to a company well-placed in the market to make it a success. My journey takes you from the idea stage through prototyping, testing, market research, budgeting, engineering, patenting, tooling, production, packaging, test marketing, advertising, product sales, and eventual company sale, giving you a look inside of each process. At the end of each section of the book, there’s an “in hindsight” detailed analysis of what I did right and what I did wrong during that stage of the process. I also give you a running total of what was spent, in real dollars, at the end of each stage and what was spent in total to that point in the book. Why a running total? Running out of money is what makes most new ideas fall short of success. My running total will put things into perspective and help you prepare for the best- and the worstcase scenarios.

Why This Product and This Book? As I stated earlier, I do this for a living. I chose my own invention, a programmable scent dispenser, because it’s the prototypical case study of what it really takes for the average individual with a day job, a mortgage, and a family to get an idea to market.

I had to keep my day job to pay the bills and provide the constant funds needed to develop and market my invention. I had to deal with vendors (including those in China) as an individual inventor (without the backing of a large corporation) to get the supplies I needed and my product produced.

My invention was all me. It wasn’t financed, designed, or manufactured by a client for PLT Associates to sell to the general public. It wasn’t invented and prototyped by someone else for me to develop. It was all me, with a little help from my family and friends, as it will be up to you to make your idea come to life and be profitable.

As you read this book, you will see what I saw, feel what I felt, and, more importantly, see what I spent on my invention. Money is the basic tool needed for the process. Spending that money wisely is the reason you’ll read and finish this book.

My best friend and confidant asked me, “Why are you writing this book? It has a limited audience and probably won’t make you a dime!” My response was simply this: “The engine of the U.S. is intellectual properties produced and financed mostly by individuals. Once that engine runs out of gas, we’re all in serious trouble. If this book helps just one person get an invention to market, it helps the entire economy and could change the world we live in.” I know that sounds hokey, but I believe it to be true. If I would have read a book with as much real-world detail as this book before I started developing my idea, I would have saved about $150,000 and over two of the nearly five years I spent getting the programmable scent dispenser to market.

You are now the owner of my experience. Whether you’re a midlevel manager with a project on his desk, an owner of a company looking to expand, or an individual inventor looking to live the American Dream, after reading this book you’ll have the tools and experience needed to be a success. Every invention and market is different and has its own set of obstacles. This book isn’t a roadmap as much as it’s a guide to making good decisions along the way. Also, I hope I convey how much fun it is and how exciting it is to actually embark on such a quest. Enjoy my story!