20/20 Foresight

I've worked with new products for more than 20 years, and the one thing people perpetually ask me is how I can tell when a product will succeed. The answer is simply that I can't. Nobody can. Because for every idea, no matter how great it is, success ends up depending on the grit and determination of the inventor.

Prichard started out with only a firm belief in his idea. The road to success clearly has hundreds of red lights; only a precious few green ones offer any hope that an idea might succeed. But the odds didn't matter to Prichard; he only considered his dream.

Are you searching for someone to take your idea to the market? Take a look in the mirror. You may, of course, get people to help you, but when all is said and done, it's the inventor who has to go out into the often inhospitable world and make success happen. The best way to make your fortune is to have more than just a run-of-the-mill idea. You need to have an idea with a big vision. Believe me, investors and buyers will take notice.

		Just can't see the light quite yet? Check out "Making Your Dreams A Reality" for start-up inspiration.

This article was originally published in the November 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: 20/20 Foresight.