Have product - How to reach market? (I know, I know)

Thank you Shane.

I will run those ideas by him. I don't think he has tried direct mail, but I think he may have run a few ads in targeted publications.

I think he created the product before he established that the market was a strong one.

Hi Ralph,

I spent a good deal of my career in product development so these types of situations get my interest. But just because I have helped folks sell millions of units of their inventions and designs don't give my thoughts anymore weight than that of a some mook on a forum. I don't know your friends entire situation...

He's going to need to do this, and it will come naturally with mass production due to quantity buying, and the division of labor during the manufacturing stage, if nothing else.

This notion is huge mistake. The realities of the marketplace demand a mass production scenario for this to be susccessful. If your friend doesn't do it someone will, the marketplace for these types of products rarely stands a vacuum for very long once traction is attained.

Not in all geographical areas or niches. Just one good niche could produce tens of thousands of sales. At the right price.

This is a normal situation and one that is generally addressed by raising capital to speed up the process. This product should attract capital like nobody's business.

That tipping point will coincide with the 'price elasticity of demand'. If you're not familiar with that concept, Google it.

The problem with that notion lies in the fact that the majority of inventors (I hold 4 US Patents) only end up doing the homework for an entrepreneur who has a greater capacity to capitalize on the opportunity. It gets back to that vacuum in the marketplace on the supply side. (Several of my designs I was paid to do with corporate money are selling in stores like W-M and H-D and I have experienced this first hand, fwiw. It's nasty.)

While your friend is out there "slowly ramping up" he needs to be aware of some of the other factors I have mentioned above. That "slowly ramping up" is one of the main reasons good people like your friend end up doing the homework while some other entrepreneur hits the home run. I've been invovled in deals where tens of millions in corporate money was used as 'homework money' and can tell you that the ceiling for this phemon is almost unlimited.

Bottom line...your friend is sitting on a gold mine, imho. I can't tell you how many times I wished I had had this product on the PU trucks I've had with camper shells.

I hope you don't think my words are too strong in the above post, but after years of watching people like your friend come up with great ideas only to miss the opportunity because of strong internal beliefs that don't jibe with how consumer markets truly function I felt the need to post some of my thoughts.

Another Warrior here who is well versed in these types of scenarios is Brian McLeod. I would seek his input.

Much success to your friend,

~Bill

Well, what you were told is folklore and is flat out wrong. Dangerously wrong, and unfortunately people continue to believe this myth.

That method has zero legal standing.

~Bill

Greetings,

I just wanted to post an update on this as I finally heard from my friend, Bryan. His reply to me was as follows:

"Before building anything I looked for previous art (existing patents) and found several ranging from 3 yrs old to 50 yrs old. So others have thought there is a need. Obviously none successfully went to market. But I figured, possibly wrongly, that the reason those versions didn't make it is they each failed to function in one or more critical ways.

Specifically: none were universal in ability to be installed on today's truck/cap combinations; required significant loss of cargo space to make way for mechanisms; involved attaching cage assemblies inside the cap and this required piercing the shell with bolts; and none could achieved raising the rear of a cap as far without significant loss of useable space at the front of the cargo area. These points drove design goals.

The market research I did was to build a working prototype and let it be seen in public, like parking lots and gas stations. People would go out of their way to come look and comment. The reaction was strong and very positive. Common comments included, 'Those ought to sell like hot cakes' and the like. Few asked for the price, however, which did concern me. But I forged ahead.

I agree that price is one large obstacle. I had two good size manufacturing companies and two substantial machine shops quote quantities from 50 to 500 sets at a time. I did not find any hope of getting the manufacturing cost below $650. Not sure even that can be reached.

It has been raised and lowered while driving in town and at highway speeds many hundreds of times. I have driven hundreds of miles with the cap raised, town and highway, sometimes intentionally traveling in front of numerous highway and local police. One pulled along side and got on the loud speaker to ask if I knew it was up. I gave him a thumbs up. No one pulled me over.

It is patented and has been published"

I also suggested he join the Warrior Forum and he is looking into doing so as he time.

Thanks again to all who took time to comment on this product.