Inventor Coach Brian Fried shares quick, practical ways to test whether your invention has real demand — before you invest heavily. Learn how to collect honest feedback, analyze existing products, run low-cost tests, and validate your idea with real customers.
Resources Mentioned:
- Coaching & Consulting: https://BrianFried.com
- Invention Playbook Newsletter: https://InventionPlaybook.com
- Inventor Smart Community App: https://InventorSmart.com
Subscribe to The Inventor Coach Podcast for new episodes, tips, and stories to help inventors succeed. Join the community → InventionPlaybook.com
Episode Transcript
Hey, it's Brian Freed, your inventor coach. You've got a
great idea, maybe even a prototype, But here's the million
dollar question, will anyone actually buy it? Today? I'm breaking
down how to test market demand before you pour time
and money into production. Let's get started. One of the
biggest mistakes I see inventors make is falling in love
(00:38):
with their idea and assuming the world will too. But
assumptions are dangerous. What you need is proof. Start by
getting feedback from real potential customers, not only a friends
or family. Show a simple sketch of prototype, and ask
clear questions, would you use this, how much would you pay?
What would make it better? Their answers might surprise you
(01:01):
and they'll help guide your next steps. Next, do a
reality check. Search Amazon, at se or retail sites and
brick a mortar stores for similar products. What exists already?
What are the reviews saying? Gaps and complaints in those
reviews are opportunities for you. There's something I always tell inventors.
(01:23):
You don't need a finished product to test the market.
As long as you have an issue a filed patent,
Why don't you create a simple landing page with your
product image description and a buy now or learn more button.
Then you can run a small ad campaign. If payople click,
you're onto something. If they don't, better to learn now
than after spending thousands. You can also collect feedback through
(01:47):
quick surveys, social media polls, or even setting up a
table at a local event. The goal is the same,
real world reactions from real people. If there's one takeaway
from today, it's this, don't build it and hope they come.
Test early, test often, Let the market guide your decisions,
(02:07):
and your invention will have a much better chance of success.
If you have a great invention idea but need the
right support to bring it to life, the Inventor Smart
Community app is here for you. Join a vibrant network
of inventors, entrepreneurs, startups, and service providers, all working together
to share knowledge, collaborate, and move their inventions forward. With
(02:31):
group chats, exclusive webinars, live events, and a rich resource library,
the app offers everything you need to learn, connect and
grow your invention journey, showcase your ideas, get feedback, and
find the support you need at every stage from brainstorming
to licensing and manufacturing. Upgrade to a premium membership to
(02:54):
unlock even more powerful tools and opportunities. Download the Inventor
Smart Community app today at app dot inventorsmart dot com
or from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Start
inventing with a community built to help you succeed. If
this helped you think differently about your idea, hit subscribe
(03:14):
and leave a review. And for more free resources and
tools to validate your invention, visit invention playbook dot com.
Before you go big, find out if people actually want
what you're creating. Until next time, Inventor Coach out
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Kingdom of Fraud
It’s the unlikeliest of criminal partnerships: a devout polygamist from an insular Utah sect joining forces with a shadowy Armenian tycoon from LA. The result - a billion dollar fraud conspiracy. In Kingdom of Fraud, investigative reporter Michele McPhee traces the origins of the extraordinary alliance between Jacob Kingston and Levon Termendzhyan. Together, the two men trigger the largest tax investigation in American history and weave around themselves a web of dirty cops, influential political relationships and transnational money laundering. All this is set against the backdrop of Jacob Kingston’s clan – The Order. A powerful and secretive polygamist organization in Salt Lake City. To whom Jacob is desperate to prove his worth. Kingdom of Fraud is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. You can listen to new episodes of Kingdom of Fraud completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today!