We’ve seen it before: companies turning to the general public to mine ideas for solutions to internal problems. Now there’s a central location for companies to solicit creative ideas from anyone with an Internet connection: Innocentive.com. The site lets “seekers” (i.e., private companies, government agencies, and nonprofits) solicit help from average Joes on issues from product development to engineering and design. At stake, of course, is cash: if your idea is accepted and implemented by a company, you could win up to $1 million.
(Hat tip: Alon Nir)
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Here’s another site similar to Innocentive that’s marrying individuals’ ideas and intellectual property with commercialization opportunities: Edison Nation (www.EdisonNation.com). One of the site’s coolest features is its Web 2.0 platform, which may transform it into the Facebook of innovators and creative professionals. Anyone can create a free profile to network, share skill sets and even request services (i.e. engineer in need of graphic design work).
And unlike Innocentive, Edison Nation mainly works with major retailers and manufacturers looking for innovative product concepts (not science foundations, for instance), giving the “Average Joe” a better chance at success – not just the science whiz.
Right now, WestPoint Home, manufacturer of home fashions, has a search out, along with Spencer’s Gifts for novelty/gag products.
I think Innocentive is like robbing Peter to Pay Paul. They transfer the cost of RD to poor researchers and only one of them gets paid.
The true cost of the final result includes the cost of the failed attempts. It is just not born by researcher.