A Flash of Inspiration

I've always been fascinated by inventors, especially everyday folk who invent everyday gizmos -- stuff that the average idiot could've thought of, but didn't. Or, more likely, did, but didn't do anything about, other than fantasize winning the (fictive) patent lottery. In reality, nobody is ever going to buy just an idea -- not for a million dollars, not for a dollar. You've heard the expression: "Ideas are a dime a dozen." When it comes to inventions, truer words were never spoken.

I've interviewed tons of inventors for magazine articles -- ordinary men and women who did make a gazillion dollars on their brainchildren. They come from all walks of life, but their common denominator is that they did not license or sell their idea or their patent; rather, they manufactured, sold and distributed the item themselves. In other words, they built a solid business, sold (or licensed) the actual product (not the idea), and eventually cashed in by selling the successful business for multiples of earnings.

The other quality the inventors shared was perseverance in the face of adversity. They are first and foremost entrepreneurs. In every single instance, getting their invention to market was a steep uphill battle, fraught with unexpected setbacks and disappointments at every turn, with most of their naysaying family and friends encouraging them to abandon their cockamamie schemes. To a person, they all declare that, if they had known going in how much time and energy and resources it would ultimately take, they never would have taken that first step -- but, having reached the summit, they're glad they did.

I've had the privilege of researching and writing magazine profiles about the brains behind a variety of clever innovations, ranging from the inventor of the board game Boggle in New York to the inventor of the Weedeater lawn trimmer in Houston. And now one of my best friends, Ken Kobre in San Francisco, has joined the pantheon of great inventors, with the extraordinary success of his Lightscoop -- an ingenious camera accessory that easily and inexpensively enables photographers to dramatically improve the quality of their flash pictures.

As with all inventors, the path to riches was long and arduous, requiring years of intensive research and development. I witnessed innumerable versions and variations on the journey from the drawing board to the working models to the final product. It turned out to be a relatively simple concept that took years of engineering to perfect. (Even after it hit the marketplace to rave reviews and glowing consumer feedback, it is still going through constant evolution and improvement.)

But even once you have a product, your woes are just beginning. Manufacturing, packaging, order fulfillment, advertising, promotion -- opportunities for failure abound. Success can be elusive and rare. Despite long odds, Ken -- in partnership with his stalwart wife, the brilliant Betsy Brill -- scaled the mountaintop. Their Lightscoop is undeniably a valuable contribution to the field of photography, and millions of pictures will be the better for it.