The Journey to Design 100 Products: Overcoming Obstacles and Improving Skills

The Journey to Design 100 Products: Overcoming Obstacles and Improving Skills

I have set a goal to design 100 products in 2 years, with the aim of launching an online store and filling it quickly. I recently received advice from an internet stranger who suggested that I focus on producing a large quantity of low-selling products, rather than trying to hit home runs with a few high-selling items. They argued that even if a product only sells one unit per month, 300 such products would still generate 300 orders per month - a substantial amount.

With this in mind, I have decided to adopt a simple rule: make 100 things, ignoring all obstacles. However, there are some common obstacles that inventors face that I would like to address. These include:

  • The product costs too much to make
  • No one will want it
  • It's too simple or too complicated
  • It doesn't solve a problem, or it solves a problem that no one has
  • Someone else makes something similar
  • It's too much form and not enough function, or vice versa
  • It doesn't actually work

These are all valid concerns, but my approach is to ignore them and focus on the goal of creating 100 designs.

As I write this, I am approaching design 50/100. The journey has been challenging but rewarding. I initially set out to improve my proficiency with CAD software, design as fast as someone could sketch on paper, and improve my design skills. But what I didn't expect was how much this process would sharpen my ability to identify problems in the world around me.

In my next post, I'll delve into my first designs and the "long hanging fruit" that helped me get the ball rolling.

  1. What challenges have you faced when designing products and how have you overcome them?
  2. How do you approach identifying and solving problems in your own environment?
  3. Do you have any advice for someone just starting out on a journey to design 100 products?

 

(Assisted by AI)

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