Have an Idea? You Can Do Wonders
Innovation is key in today’s ever-changing world, and to sustain and thrive is even more important in the dynamic world of information technology. But where do you start? It all starts with an idea, no matter big or small it may be. It is often daunting to visualize how to implement an idea, and this fear inhibits many from bringing ideas to fruition. However, in today’s market, with a little research and follow-through, there are various ways to do wonders with even simple ideas.
If we were to look at the various possibilities on a spectrum, at one end is being able to patent an idea. When you have something really unique, revolutionary, and paradigm in nature, you can try this route. Patenting an idea requires significant effort—including testing the patentable idea—but the process is well documented.
Alternatively, if you do not want to take on the overhead of filing for a patent, there are options for selling ideas to patent portfolio companies. Companies such as Intellectual Ventures are ready to listen if you have a patentable idea. The CEO recently talked about the growing power of patents and how they currently have over 40,000 active patents.
Not every good idea is a patentable one, but there are a lot of things you can do with good and creative ideas within your work scope and organization. For example, the idea can be engineered to become an intellectual property of the company and can be leveraged to improve the organization’s efficiency and productivity while also benefiting clients and end users. Even if it is an idea that you believe may not have a huge impact, you can leverage it to help you and your immediate team do a job better and faster. At a minimum, applying your ideas will give you satisfaction that you are trying something differently.
Try to see if you can tangibly measure the outcome from implementing your ideas. This will go a long way in helping shape the idea for something big down the line. Think about what inspires you and where you get your best ideas from—it may be in a calm spot, it may be in a brainstorming session with colleagues, or it may be when you are at the gym or out for a run. The idea is to plant the seed to innovate, do not curtail it.
