Crack this code...

[CyberCat]

it's cool that there's so many smart people on this board!

It's certenly more interesting (and active, and friendly more that matter ) here than on many of the other forums I've visited.

[Gman]

Yup Zel... EE ...that was my first degree... departed for 5 years and got off track a bit with an Architecture degree then eventually went back into Computer Science to finish with a phd.

...and just having a degree itself doesn't make one "smart"... I have a number of friends who just graduated high school who are some of the most brilliant minds I've ever had the good fortune of meeting... funny thing is for myself... I never had a job that had anything to do with any of my degrees!

I wouldn't trade my experience at uni for anything though... and now that I am my own boss... I make use of all my life experience as well as all that I learned in school... ;D

[ZelRiptha]

Very cool, G.

My jobs have little resembled my degree as well... strange, eh? Now I'm an engineer in a programmer's world. A bit of culture shock at times.

Being your own boss must be interesting - I seem to have little of the entrepreneurial spirit. Most of the "next great things" seem already in the works. Lazy talk, I know. It must take a fair amount of discipline to keep things going, though...

[Gman]

that's why I always tell folks that it's the person not the resume... I know from experience I was never really qualified for any position I ever actually held... I was still the right man for the job though! I figure you can learn anything and if you've found the right person they can excel with a little training and initiative...

and as far as "most of the next great things" go... I am still trying to figure that one out too! The next thing i'm working on though is software for auto engine design... we should have the building done by April ...maybe the second week now... already have two clients interested in that... but I'm still trying to think of the next big thing... if you come up with it before I do let me know and mebbe' we can be partners? ;D

[ZelRiptha]

Gosh, you must be busy...

"building done" - building of the software, or building of the building?

Are we talking some kind of CAD software? Or simulation?

Hey, I'll put on my thinking cap... and if you're serious, I've been thinking of doing some consulting...

[Gman]

the office building... ah so you're familiar with this sort of thing eh? ...currently it's consulting companies that design automobiles... the entire vehicle... originally it was just engines... but I have something in mind that I had an idea for when I did some consulting for law enforcement... it's still in the brainstorm stage and I know it's possible but I just don' know for how much?

Is anyone on here familiar with the process of obtaining a patent nowadays? They always make it seem so easy but it takes years and no matter what your invention... it becomes extremely costly. But, anyway... that's the next step after figuring everything out is applying for the patents and fine tuning everything... but another day...

erm "consulting" hehe... consulting is always fun... even the serious stuff! :laugh2:

[ZelRiptha]

Patent applications take a long time to process, and I do think that the search and application process can be expensive. Definitely don't go with one of those "invention submission" places... I don't think I'd trust them to handle the work properly (not to mention the proprietary information).

It's probably worth a visit to a patent attorney to get some real data about the process.

And about consulting, I was serious in the sense I'd be glad to help if it were needed... the smart guy tends to make us think of only one thing... ;D

I've been looking for ways to go "independent" for a while, but it's not necessarily a simple matter with relatively limited funds.

[Gman]

LOL the "smart" guy hehe... that he does!

Agreed, you definietely need to hire or befriend... a lawyer... you don't stand a chance if you don't...

and right about the needing funds to even have a chance of breaking into independence... I got a few extra bucks finally by working 3 or 4 jobs for about three years straight (graphic design/ web design, government, doing some odd software projects here and there...) and eventually going into financial analysis for about a year... I was finally able to save a coupla' dollars and come out big on some "risky" investments in options trading that payed some really big returns! ... once i got my foot in the door things eventually took off and I got into some new businesses... and things are beginning to pay off finally...

One thing I've learned from my family in business is that you never put your money in the bank and from doing financial analysis I picked up a few new things... with investing and most importantly that most people who are employed by another only make a relatively small amount of what they put into a J.O.B. my take home was about 1% of the amount of money I made for the folks I was working for! How's that for a wake up? :laugh:

So I just took another slight risk and after getting the rest of my stocks and other benefits from all the jobs I was working... cashed out and walked away... That's easier to do if you're single though I do realise!

and the patents... one for just a simple physical object might set you back some $80,000 easily! That doesn;t include having a mold made of your product or all the testing your invention will have to undergo even...

[RALPHE]

It's certenly more interesting (and active, and friendly more that matter ) here than on many of the other forums I've visited

who you callin friendly?? :puke:


(jokes)