Ruminations on Week Three

"Who Has Your Passion For Your Version?"

The question of your customer going around you came up in class, which is a perennial... and I think I hit on a pithy riposte, "who has your passion for your version?"

I think the error in thinking that your new product will be stolen is the error that the product is perfect as it is, plus it will sell fantastically well immediately. This error leads to another, and that is erroneous idea that you must protect your idea with intellectual property rights (patent, trademark, copyright).

Although the product or service idea starts with us and our experienced dissatisfaction, our inquiries in the marketplace will not only confirm if it is a good idea to pursue, but at the same time feedback on the mere idea will more fully inform your concept and lead to a better product.

Once you execute your first minimum order shipment, customers will naturally critique your item, leading to ever more improvement in product, which in turn improves the sales of the item. Since you are always buying minimum orders form your supplier at the small biz level, "better sales" translates into quicker accumulation of customer orders, which in turn means more frequent orders from your suppliers (not larger orders, but more frequent).

Now pause, since you are constantly changing your products, why would you seek intellectual property rights on an item you are constantly changing in order that you may get more sales? It does not make sense to "protect" your item at the small biz level. Why not skip rather large lawyer fees for a one time iteration of an item? Soon enough the item will be so different that your patent is irrelevant.

Now back to "customers or suppliers going around you." I mentioned the value you provide in breaking up a suppliers minimum among many USA retailers, and allowing many USA retailers to avoid a suppliers minimum, doing a favor for both. Aside from that, and the fact it is unlikely an overseas supplier would burn you when you are bringing the supplier new USA business, who has your passion for your version? Who is going to make do the work necessary to ever improve and come up with your versions? Well, nobody, because you are unique, as are your contributions. Even if someone did steal your idea (and they will not) they are stuck with a version that by they time the thief presents it, you are already on to a better version.

Of course, in big biz everyone steals each others ideas. It just does not happen at small biz level.

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