Protect your idea

IT has happened umpteen times and it still happens again and again. People have great ideas. They are not sure, if the idea is commercially viable. They make a prototype, their well wishers love it as if its the next big idea after Edison's bulb invention. But they are still unsure. They make more models. The models start selling. This phase is so exciting that they forget everything else. They pump in money and start production. The market enamors the product. The sales keep on growing exponentially month after month…!!!! Suddenly they notice a blip in the numbers. They attribute it to some external factor. It repeats the next month and the numbers start plummeting….!!!
What has happened?
They look back and see a blunder!!!
They had not bothered about protecting their idea with a patent. And now, everyone in the market is making one. Now they are back on earth and are no more coasting amongst the clouds.

Like a bike (Kokua) is one such product. A bike without pedals, so that kids can cruise along without having to worry about their balance. Here are some cool pics.

Read the full story here in Financial Times.