How Make48 Helps First-Time Inventors

Pivot International  |   September 15, 2017

Make48, the TV competition show that gives teams of inventors the challenge of taking a product from conception to prototype and pitch in just 48 hours, will be on the air once again at the end of this month, and my company, Pivot International, is once again sponsoring it.

In fact, we’re going a little farther than sponsorship this time around – I serve as a judge and mentor this season, an opportunity which I’ve greatly enjoyed.

One of the reasons that I’ve gotten personally involved with Make48 is that the show breaks important ground in terms of showing the entire product development process – not just what happens after you’ve gotten a working prototype.

This can really help break down the barriers to production for inventors embarking on their product development journey for the first time, not to mention people who have a great idea, but never considered going through with the product development process.

Here are just a few reasons I think Make48 is helping first-time inventors.

There’s benefit to seeing that product development is messy.

While other shows, like Shark Tank, have given viewers unprecedented glimpses into what it’s like to pitch a product to investors, there hasn’t been one that shows the entire product development process from start to finish.

One thing viewers realize when they see the Make48 teams creating their products is that product development is a messy process. There are starts and stops, changes, difficulties, failures, and triumphs. Tempers flare among team members now and then. People disagree on what works best, and they have to come to a compromise to move forward.

This is the reality of what it’s like to create a product. Like any creative pursuit, it’s challenging, but ultimately very fulfilling. First-time inventors can benefit from this realistic portrayal of the development process, despite the fact that it’s done under fairly extreme time limitations.

It can be encouraging, also, to see that the same people who may offer an impeccable pitch presentation were dealing with major material or functionality issues just hours before.

Viewers can witness the importance of prototyping.

In my opinion – and I’ve been in the product development business for 30 years now – prototyping is one of the most crucial steps in taking a product from conception to manufacture.

For whatever reason, however, some inventors decide to skip this step, whether because of cost concerns, time restraints, or other reasons.

On Make48, each team must present a prototype to the judges, and on the way to getting that final prototype, they often adjust and tweak their design. Seeing how the prototypes influence the final product design is valuable for first-time inventors, as it can encourage them not to skip this very important step.

In addition, viewers will see how easy and cost-effective prototyping can actually be. Thanks to technologies like computer-aided design and 3D printing, rapid prototyping is becoming a highly accessible method of getting an inexpensive prototype in a matter of just hours or days.

Viewers see the importance of creating a product that solves a problem.

Every team that makes it to Make48 has a problem that solves some kind of problem. It doesn’t have to be a problem that the market has articulated yet, but creating a product that’s intended to succeed based solely on its “cool factor” is likely going to be a fruitless journey.

It’s also important to remember, however, that you don’t have to figure out the solution to that problem all on your own. Unlike in the Make48 competition, inventors working on their own schedules have the opportunity to conduct market research, to ask for feedback on their product idea from those in the industry, and experiment with different materials, aesthetics, and more.

Want to know more about creating a product from start to finish? Read my post “What’s More Important for a Product’s Success – Manufacturing or Product Design?”