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Learn how to tap the Fountain of Inspiration to generate Million Dollar Ideas that outsell the competition, and beat the Recession! This Free Teleseminar will be presented at 8:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, and 6:00 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday, July 24, 2008. Make your reservation now! To register, please click
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First Step. At first, they drew a fancy looking design of what they thought might be an appropriate vehicle. The problem they ran into was that they couldn't make it match the design. Putting a physical model together was not a part of their expertise. They farmed it out to contractors, but what they got back was too cumbersome, too heavy, and too clunky to win the race.

Prototype Not a Finished Product. Finally, they realized that they couldn't design a finished product. After much discussion they decided to put a model together that was within the limits of their knowledge and expertise. It wasn't as sleek as their original design, but they were able to assemble something that vaguely resembled their drawing.

Next step? Test it! So they took the prototype to the hill where the Derby would be held, and rode it downhill. Now, you need to remember that Soap Box Derby carts have no means of propulsion other than a healthy push at the top of the hill; after that, gravity takes charge. The test showed that their design was a complete failure; too slow, too heavy.

While they were conducting the test, so were other contestants with models that performed much better; among them was a vehicle that was built with advice from an Indy 500 race driver. It made the IDEO vehicle look like a clunker.

Trial and Error. The IDEO team kept experimenting with different designs and new materials, testing each version as it developed. Little by little, the performance improved. Part of the improvement was a horizontal bar across the back of the vehicle that two hefty men, one of them a linebacker, could grab to push the cart as it was launched at the top of the hill. Another improvement was a reduction in the weight of the vehicle.

The IDEO team went through numerous versions, each one improved by testing. Finally, they felt they had improved it as much as possible; they had made it lighter, better at coasting, and trained a two-man team to get the most impulse out their pushing. In addition, they designated the smallest, lightest weight member of their team to drive it.

The night before the race, they placed their cart at the top of the hill along side the other entries. Next to them was the very sharp looking cart designed with the assistance of the Indy 500 driver. He looked at the IDEO entry, sneered, and told the team that they didn't stand a chance of winning next to his entry, which had all the aerodynamic advantages he had learned from experience.

Next day, when the race started, the IDEO pusher team grabbed the horizontal bar and ran forward with all their power; when they reached the line that marked the limit of the pushing efforts, they gave it one last big muscular shove and away it went. The Indy 500 entry was beautifully aerodynamic, but heavier, and the pushers strained to match the IDEO team's effort.

The Finish Line. As two carts rolled down the hill, little by little, the lighter IDEO cart began to pull ahead. At times, it seemed like the Indy 500 cart was catching up, but in the end, the aerodynamic design could not overcome the disadvantage of its weight. The IDEO entry pulled ahead, and crossed the finish line with a good lead over all its competitors, including the Indy 500 cart.

• Design is a good start, but functionality prevails.
• Trust your instincts and your own thoughts.
• Test and experiment relentlessly - but not endlessly.
• Have a sense of urgency, attenuated by an equally powerful sense of fun.
• The sooner you can test your innovation, the sooner you can improve it.
• Don't be afraid to junk your initial concept if it proves grossly inefficient.
• Keep improving until you have a viable innovation, but don't wait for it to be perfect.
• There is no one best way to perfect your innovation, other, that is, than trial and error. Edison ran over a thousand tests before he found the right filament for the light bulb.

Why was a prototype accepted by Staples? Jevin Eagle, senior vice president of Staples brands says, "We don't require that an idea be completely finished, but the further along an inventor is, the better chance he has. We aren't looking for general ideas, but specific ideas that are developed to the point where we can see the product's advantages and why it's better than products currently on the market."

If you are not sure about what to create or how to develop new concepts, be sure to contact Michael Wynne at mykwyn@aol.com or at (630) 420 2605.

Learn how to tap the Fountain of Inspiration to generate Million Dollar Ideas that outsell the competition, and beat the Recession! This Free Teleseminar will be presented at 8:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, and 6:00 p.m. Pacific, on Thursday, July 24, 2008. Make your reservation now! To register, please click http://www.ritaemmett.com/teleseminar- reg.htm