funding, entrepreneurship, young-entrepreneurs, prototypingHow do I generate funds for turning my idea into an actual working prototype? I am a 16 year old teenager, if can’t get funds from my family or friends what should I do?
If your invention isn’t too complicated, you can make a low-quality prototype yourself. I’ve built plenty of prototypes out of cardboard, tape, plastic pudding cups, and other odds and ends. The benefit of a low-quality prototype is that you can get a feel for how it will look and work, but not spend much money (or no money at all!).
When you’re gathering the pieces to create your prototype, rather than thinking about what objects are usually used for (like “a cup is for holding liquids that you drink”), try to think about the shape of the object, or other properties such as whether it is transparent or opaque, rigid or flexible, smooth or rough, etc.
For example, I needed a clear plastic container that was circular and had a flat bottom, as one element of an invention. I went through my local supermarket and found containers like that I could have bought … but I continued until I found pudding that came sealed in plastic cups that actually cost much less than the plastic containers I’d seen earlier! I was happy to eat the pudding, and then wash the cup and use it as part of my prototype.
I’d also had an invention in mind for storing my toothbrush in a drawer, instead of out in the open in the bathroom. In the drawer, I didn’t want the toothbrush bristles to come into contact with anything, so I just needed to raise them and let them “hang” in the air. To accomplish this, I simply got a business card, made 2 folds in it, cut a notch in it at one spot, and voila - I had my invention! It even had a flat part to catch drips of water from the toothbrush head. And I still use that folded business card invention today.
Besides the option of “doing it cheaper” – do whatever makes you money.
Elon Musk didn’t start Tesla (a car company) with a cardboard prototype (I have no idea, he may have). He made money in the Financial industry (Paypal) way before Tesla.
Wait tables, fix computers, program side projects, deliver pizzas – and save whatever you make. One (very common) way to become rich is to be frugal.
When you go to college, consider staying local and living with your parents (if that’s an option).
Don’t buy that new video game - there are plenty of F2P games out there anyways.
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