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How do I make a product? (lemm.ee)

submitted 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

37 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I have an idea for a product that I think it is remarkable it's not already a thing. It would be easy to make and produce, and I imagine manufacturing would be cheap, but could be sold at a decent price.

I know I'll need a designer or engineer to help me with a virtual design. I'll also need a programmer as the product is a "smart" product and would link back to an app. So I'd need an app dev and someone to program the functionality of the device.

So assuming I get all that, then what? How does one get something like this manufactured, assuming it gets that far? I have a potential source from which I could get a business loan, but would at least need a virtual mockup and a plan.

I would love to see this become a reality but it feels daunting and I have no idea how to make it all come together. Any insight from the lemmings is much appreciated.

Edit: I've seen some prototyping and invention help companies, but they feel skeevy and Id have no doubt the terms end up with most of the profit going to them.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Thanks for all the advice and responses. Sounds like anything coming to fruition is pretty unlikely, as I don't have $100k to work with. The product was a programmable wall/ceiling mounted laser pointer for cats. Could map your space, design patterns, and maybe have some tracking to keep the laser in front of your pets and avoid it shining in their eyes. The controller app would connect via Bluetooth so it'd be local and no personal data like video or mapping would get stored, as I wanted to emphasize privacy.

Maybe someone more qualified can do something with it. Or Amazon will build it. Idc, it's just something I'd like and thought it was a pretty good idea. One that, admittedly, I probably won't do the work required to actually make.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I'm not part of the target audience as I don't have a cat, but I don't see the value in this over a cheap red laser pointer. Automatizing play with your pet sounds super dehumanizing, like, you can't even be bothered to spend 5 minutes entertaining your pet?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

I can, but we're gone at work all day. Having something that can engage them when they want would be very useful. We play with them, but I think it's a bit of a generalization to say it's dehumanizing or we can't make the time. There's nothing wrong with wanting an additional thing besides myself to enrich my pets lives.

Edit: also, the angles. Our home is narrow and so to give them a good workout it requires a lot of moving around and holding the laser pointer over my head to get a good angle on it. Clearly you don't have a cat, cause it's 20-30 minutes when I bust it out, not 5. They fucking love the thing. Having something that knows the bounds of the space and can move through it smoother and more consistently than I can would be great.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

FYI

Laser light play alone, however, does not allow cats to complete the hunting sequence; cats cannot ‘catch’ the prey. It has been suggested that this might trigger frustration and stress, both of which can contribute to compulsive behaviors.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8388446/

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, I've seen this before. Well not this specific article, but the idea that the laser pointer doesn't give them that tactile satisfaction. Again, we do play with our cats with lots of touch toys. Just thought this may be a fun other toy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

The biggest issue with the idea is power. Needing a bunch of batteries or a wall plug to keep this thing spinning a few different motors, and possibly a camera with a computer running depending on features mentioned here. This would likely only run for a few hours on battery.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

Yeah, that's something I've been trying to work out. I was thinking it would be plugged in and included those wall covering tracks in the package, but ultimately that's no solution. And if it's mounted getting it down to charge or replace batteries doesn't make much sense.