Wise Uncle Ben

In order to understand the title of my post, you have to watch this video. After you have watched the video, check out their web site. The only thing missing is Beaver Cleaver. I am not making fun of this invention by any means. I love pancakes, but I hate the mess. The drips on the stove and the mixing bowl are usually enough to deter me from making them. Not only am I excited about this product, but I can’t wait to try it. As a matter of fact, I searched on the company’s website for a store that carries Batter Blaster.

This product is a perfect example of building a better mouse trap. We all know how to make pancakes; but let’s face it, Americans are pressed for time. Not only do I think this is a great idea, but the branding is phenomenal. I watched the commercial one time and can’t wait to see if they taste good. Maybe its just the Tim Taylor in me, but any product that uses propulsion is something that has my attention. I know my son will love this one, and I am looking forward to making pancakes with him. From a business standpoint, they have sold 40,000 cans. I am sure if the product is even decent that that number will be millions two years from now. Way to go Nate Steck! The article below is just an excerpt. Please read the full article here.

New invention turns pancakes into canned cakes

By MICHELLE LOCKE Associated Press Writer

Article Launched: 03/07/2008 12:02:43 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO—You want pancakes, but the idea of adding water to powder and stirring it around just seems like too much effort. Enter Batter Blaster, the pancake you just point and spray.

Gastronomic genius? Or sign of the apocalypse?

It all depends on how you feel about really fast food.

For Nate Steck, part of the two-man team that developed Batter Blaster, the product is a way to put something hot and tasty on the table of people who have lost touch with the most important meal of the day.

“If you sit down with your family in the morning, you can cook these pancakes so quick,” he said in an interview in Batter Blaster’s new offices in a south-of-Market alley in San Francisco.

“You can actually give the house that smell of home cooking,” Steck said. “You’re not burning the frozen waffles in the toaster. This heats up the house. The kids like it; they feel like they’re spending some time with the family.”

The contents are pressurized and the can has a nozzle similar to a whipped cream can, which can unleash artistic aspirations in the way of animal, geometric and letter-shaped pancakes.

Preparation: Shake the can firmly before spraying. Clean up: Rinse the nozzle under running water after using.

The product, which is organic, comes more than a century after the launch of the first convenience pancake product, a powdered mix that eventually would be called Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix.

And Batter Blaster begs comparison to other ultra-convenience foods, such as Easy Cheese, that staple of dorm room soirees, and Reddi-Wip, the ubiquitous canned whipped cream.

Some flip for the spray-and-bake breakfasts.

“They’re fantastic,” says Keith Bussell, a Los Angeles software developer who picked up a can of Batter Blaster on a lark and was won over by the ease of making just one or two pancakes sans stirring. “It’s not an approximation of pancakes. They’re really good pancakes,” he said.

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Sometimes I am not sure if I should laugh or cry when I see new inventions. This particular invention struck me as a little bit comical at first glance. In no way do I wish to make fun of its inventor as it is a seemingly useful tool. However, my mind’s eye has a pretty comical view when I think of an airport full of people wearing their Dreamhelmets which would invariably come in multiple colors such as pink for the soccer mom, black for the conservative business man and apparently camo for the outdoors men.

The Inspiration

This simple helmet is patented sensory deprivation device to help weary travelers get their stage VI sleep. I found it when I was reading an article about “drowsy driving” which, come to find out, is on the government’s list of things to outlaw. I could not help but think of all of the other uses for the Dreamhelmet.

1. A tool for President Bush to continue his budget balancing efforts.

2. A way for dads to make it through Hanna Montana movies.

3. This is the perfect tool to deal with your spouse’s constant nagging and unsightly weight gain.

4. This is a must for the Mr. Miyagi’s School of Karate (God rest his soul)

All kidding aside this invention is getting great reviews and has appeared many times in the nationally syndicated press. I am only a little jealous that I did not think of something so simple.

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What is the largest wasted food product in the world?

If you guessed rice bran, you are correct. Rice bran is the outer hull or shell of the grain of rice. When peeled from the grain, rice bran goes rancid in 48 hours or less. All of the world’s rice bran has simply been discarded until recently. It turns out that this waste product is not only the most nutritious part of the rice, but it also has the highest antioxidant content of any food on earth. Oddly enough the millers are stripping the nutrition from the rice and throwing it away. To find out more about the nutritional composition of rice bran click here.

One Woman’s Dream

Patricia McPeak founder of Rice X, Nutristar and now Nutracea had a dream. Her dream was to capture the rice bran and make it into a viable food source to save starving children in third world countries. She is on her way to succeeding and has in many ways. Nutracea supplies many third world countries with their product. In addition to being a powerful agent against malnutrition, it seems to help with arthritis and has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels. You may have seen her on ITV, the infomercial channel, selling Rice and Shine a meal replacement shake based on stabilized rice bran. You will find Nutracea’s branded products on the label of many nutritional supplements in the aisles of your local Whole Foods Market. In addition to Nutracea’s human line, they also use their proprietary formula as an additive in animal feeds.

Drive!!!!

Although it took 30 years to see the realization of her dream, we can all take one lesson from Patricia McPeak. The lesson is simple, never quit if you believe in something. Now I have never interviewed her and there are no biographies written about her, but you can see she has drive and passion. Ms. McPeak has been through many rounds of funding and corporate name changes. Her companies have teetered on the brink of bankruptcy on more than one occasion. However she never gave up and now it looks as if rice bran is here to stay. That being said I will end with a personal quote.

People love to tell you why your idea won’t work; it is up to you not to listen to them.

Disclosure: In the interest of full disclosure I do own shares of NTRZ which trades on the over the counter exchange.

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The Project

I am going to deviate from my typical post here to tell the story I am currently living. I have an Idea I think could do very well  in the mass market. Although I  will not be sharing the idea with you, I will be sharing my blow by blow journey to success or failure. I know this will be a learning experience for me and hopefully helpful for any person trying to do the same thing.

Metrics

My goal is to have a manufactured prototype in hand by April 19th 2008. The reason for that specific day? That is the Midwest open casting call of Everyday Edison’s. As it stands today I plan to present my product there, however as in any learning process I may change my mind. It is also possible that my product is under development and will hit shelves tomorrow.  Either way I will keep you posted.

Your Advice

If anyone else out there in cyberspace has tried to bring a product to market and wishes to share insight with me please post comments on this blog. I would love to hear what you have to say. I guess on that note I had better get to work!

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Some people like a twist of lime on the rim of a cocktail. Yet others prefer a twist in the plot of a novel. Sometimes simple changes have dramatic effects on the end result. Many inventors do not truly invent anything new or revolutionary. Sometimes all it takes is just a tweak on an existing product to make your million

The Pitch

What did Gary Clegg invent? He cut a hole in his blanket so he could hang his arms out to channel surf. That’s destructive, not an invention “right”? Picture this you are having a having dinner with a colleague. You can see the excitement in his face as he begins to reveal his new business proposition to you. He talks about the broad appeal for the startup company and how much money can be made. Then, drum roll please, your friend says “I am going to put sleeves on a blanket”. What? Your kidding right?

Keeping America Warm

Who would buy a blanket with sleeves? Well is seems like a lot of people would, given that Greg is projected to do over a million in sales this year. The only advertising he did to start his company was a simple blog post. After reading all of the user reviews there may be a Slanket in my home this Christmas. How many times have you had an Idea that you let people talk you out of pursuing? Do you ever wish you had followed through with your idea?

Digg the Slanket

The Slanket

Technorati Tags: inventor,business,entreprenuer

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