Inventors are problem solvers. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be inventing. But ask anyone who has gone through the process of turning an idea -- even a great one -- into a marketable commodity: The list of problems is just beginning.

That’s not to be discouraging. It’s just to point out that the world is not waiting breathlessly for your product or technology, no matter how good it is. Successful inventors understand the process necessary to bring a solution to market. They listen and learn along the way.

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