You know why nobody talks about “garage inventors” anymore? Besides the fact that nobody can afford a garage anymore, it’s also due to changes in patent law that congress approved that largely cripples small inventors with a “first to file” rule that makes it way too easy for big companies to basically make off with any good idea by patenting a defensible variant using their biggest advantage: lots of money to spend on lawyers.
@shoq I think a lot of the "garage inventors" thing is folklore too. "Apple went from a garage startup to a multi-billion dollar company" skips a lot of the story. The mythology helps sell though. It's why Bezos moved into a house with a garage when starting Amazon. The patent law problems have been pretty static my whole life except with changes in how it is being applied to software in the early days.
@hankg Meh, I wasn't even thinking of Apple. Whether the cotton gin, the telephone, the electric motor, dishwasher, washing machine, or the Whopper, the history of seminal product invention was not large companies innovating, but individuals with a vision and a dedication building it.
@hankg And if you think that's a myth, pick up any book on the great inventions that shaped modern life. And when big companies do invent things, it's often a personal struggle to get them to do it. Consider Martin Cooper doing his dog and pony shows to convince Motorola to make a cell phone.
@shoq I "invent" useful crap all the time to help myself in my own life. Some are good enough to be a product, but why do it? There's no point for this reason. The second you make a sale, a copycat is up on Temu or whatever the next day. It's a terrible rat race.
@TheJen I throw away an idea a day because I've been through the wringer a few times. I've sued Microsoft for patent infringement and lost on appeal because they convinced 2 of 3 judges that a "cache" was the most essential component of the entire concept. The last judge admitted they were clueless about all of it.
Thus, without deep pockets behind a really new idea, the inventor ain’t likely to bring it to market before someone else steals it. The whole situation has really depresssed small inventors, once the lifeblood of the industrial revolution.
@shoq I would argue that the "garage inventor" thing was also something for the already privileged who did need to get a side job and had disposable money to buy the supplies they needed. Also, the rising cost of college plays a part in who has the time on the side for garage experimenting.
@socprof I don't agree with that. Thousands of great inventions came from people with nothing but an idea, building shit in their garage (or basement, kitchen, even bedrooms). But today, even raw materials are very expensive. It may not take privilege, per se, but it sure can be expensive.
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