How would I find an entrepreneur?

May 11, 2020 11:59 AM

I've invented something marvelous and I really need help. I've got several working prototypes and I've put in a provisional patent application, but getting this to market is beyond me. How would I find someone with the expertise and the aptitude to build these ideas into a responsible company?

Before the current difficulties I was planning to try local meetup groups and such here in Tucson, despite the fact that a lack of networking skills is one of the big reasons I'd be there. Now I'm faced with trying to find someone on the internet, with no face to face contact, and I'm completely flustered. Entrepreneurial sites are mostly concerned with people working on their own projects, from what I've seen, and I'm not sure how to approach someone in a way that doesn't sound like spam.

It's made worse by the fact that what I'm looking for is a philosophy more than anything. I'd like to find someone committed to building a company that treats its employees and customers fairly, that contributes to the community, and that tries to create a better world.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a difficult search, and getting this started up would be an enormous task. Now... well, let's just say it's pretty daunting.

But I think what I've created is important, and I think that in the right hands it could make millions of people happy. I'm doing a big thing here, and I'm terrified of doing it badly. I need to find someone I can trust to put in charge of this.

For obvious reasons I can't talk much about the invention, but it's at the intersection of music and electronics.

I'd really appreciate any input as to where to search, how to search, who to search for, how to interview someone for this, or any helpful input whatsoever.

posted by MrVisible to Work & Money (6 answers total)

You might want to apply to a hardware accelerator like HAX or the like. They specialize in taking inventions from idea to market and have an established application/vetting process. They also plug into a pretty big network.

Given things are pretty crazy right now their usual process will probably be way different, but I've seen lots of success stories out of there. Avoid crowdfunding and anyone who wants to "market" your invention! IMO you need money, expertise, and time.

You might also look around for people and companies that have created things in the same line as your invention - say yours was a new kind of electronic drum kit. Look up the companies that have been active in digital percussion and just email their main contact line saying, I'm entering this space and would love to talk with others in it. Small companies are surprisingly responsive to like-minded people.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:52 PM on May 11, 2020 [3 favorites]

Not sure about the University of Arizona, but a lot of business schools have social innovation and/or social entrepreneurships programs right now. I might contact the entrepreneurship departments of such schools and/or look up professors since they are a) more likely to have similar philosophies and b) can ID the promising students/community members. Note that a lot of programs have students doing executive training and/or people in later career stages looking to move up and move on, so the pool is not just newly minted MBAs. (In some cases (c) profs may volunteer themselves, if so, I would look VERY HARD at their business resume, and not just their academic CVs. )

Be picky. Find someone who has experience in your product's industry.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 1:15 PM on May 11, 2020 [1 favorite]

Here in NH, a friend who had a great idea and wanted to start making/marketing it, found help with his questions by going to NH SBDC at UNH.

Looking at their website, they are a part of the nationwide Small Business Development Center.
posted by bCat at 1:23 PM on May 11, 2020 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I should have mentioned that I'm laboring under some physical limitations that prevent me from taking on the leadership of this venture myself. Those limitations will definitely keep me from attending any sort of conference or hardware acceleration program; I'm also immunocompromised, so I'll be living in a bubble for a while.

I've been trying to contact companies that might be interested, but I've gotten no responses to emails, and I can't even find phone numbers. I have no networking skills, and no network.

I worked with the UofA's IP clinic on the patent application, and I've been in touch with their entrepreneurship program; they referred me to a local startup incubator, which wanted to train me to be an entrepreneur. I'll give them another call tomorrow.

And I talked to the Small Business Development Center here a while ago. They referred me to a couple of local businesses, who seemed confused as to why I was referred there. I'll get in touch with my contact there again.

I know, this is a weird position to be in. My health makes me profoundly unreliable; I'm really not the person anyone wants running a company, but when you've invented something everyone expects you to be able to shift to being a CEO overnight, and I'm just not capable of it.

I'm really at a loss, and I'd appreciate any more ideas.
posted by MrVisible at 3:28 PM on May 11, 2020 [1 favorite]

Def go w SBDC.
posted by nothing.especially.clever at 6:15 AM on May 12, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks to this post I've gotten in contact with someone who has an amazing skill set and might be interested in turning this into a real thing.

I'm incredibly excited. I think this is going to make millions of people happy. I think it's going to change the world in a small, good way. As soon as I can talk about it, you can bet I'll be making a post in the appropriate Metafilter forum.

Thank you all for your help.
posted by MrVisible at 5:37 PM on June 10, 2020