The Inventor and the Entrepreneur

The difference between an unusual idea and a creative idea is that a creative idea causes something to be brought into existence – and not merely in the form of a prototype that sits unnoticed in the workshop, but in the form of a product that is delivered to the market.   The primary reason that many inventors an innovators are unsuccessful and unrecognized is that they failed to turn their unusual ideas into creative ones.

Consider the shopworn example of the graphical user interface (GUI) that is now commonplace on every desktop computer and digital device.  Very often, the credit for this innovation is given to Apple Computers, whose original Macintosh computer replaced the command prompt with a field of icons that could easily be used to launch programs and open files.   However, the GUI was invented nearly a decade before, by a research lab in silicon valley – but this is not known to many because the company that owned the research lab (Xerox, FWIW) failed to bring it to market.

The same can be said of most of the major inventions and innovations: few people recognize the individual who invented something, but instead associate it to the company that delivered it to their hands.   Some nerd will likely speak up to say, “That was originally invented by [someone else]” and no-one will know or care.   But more important that recognition, the original inventor received no reward from the sale of his invention – the riches went to the entrepreneur who delivered it to the market.

It’s suggested that this is merely a consequence of personality – that inventors are academic types and visionaries who aren’t concerned with the mundane and vulgar world of manufacturing, marketing, and distribution.  The inventor discovers something, marvels at his discover, then places it in the corner to investigate something else.   Some may see this as an admirable quality, but it seems entirely foolish.   And moreover, it seems all the more justified that the inventor is unrewarded and forgotten by history – as he did nothing to deliver the benefits of his work to the rest of mankind.

And ultimately, that is what is important: to come up with a great idea and then bury it delivers no value to society.   To recognize a good idea, even if it is not your own, and then help others to benefit it creates great value, and earns a significant reward for those who undertake the effort.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the entrepreneur is more important than the inventor – as if it were not for the inventor, there would be nothing for the entrepreneur to market.   But if it were not for the entrepreneur, the inventor’s work would be in vain.  And this considered, I have no qualms with the financial success of the entrepreneur: he has provided something to others, and is justly rewarded for doing so.