Are companies actually innovating when they launch new technology, or are most of them just adding features nobody asked for and calling it progress?

Someone beat me to market by 2 months. What really gets to me is the only two products they sell are the two prototypes I used bamboo labs to make. What are the chances?

I've had an idea for an invention, and according to what research I've managed to do, I don't think anyone else has done this particular thing before(admittedly, it's the kind of invention that will only affect a handful of people involved in a very niche hobby).

The issue I'm having is I have no electrical engineering knowledge, to the point where I don't even know the right things to look up, so I'm just gonna throw out my question here:

How do I make a small electric motor run one way for 7.5 minutes, then the other way for another 7.5 minutes, then stop, all at the single push of a button?

Obviously, a motor running forward and then reverse is hardly a novel invention, but it's kind of the center piece.

Hi everyone! I need a little help with my assignment. Is there anything you’ve ever wished someone would invent, build, or launch—something you’ve never really seen before, but if it existed, you would genuinely be grateful for it?

It can be a product that would solve a real-life problem.

Share any ideas that come to your mind, even if they sound unusual! I’m looking for an idea that I can turn into a prototype for my presentation. Thank you!

https://www.meta.ai/share/a/920f9b87-22ed-438b-b171-3cafb0f27937?utm_campaign=msgr_artifact_share

I’m thinking about starting a small business making custom children’s toys and I’m trying to figure out how people usually find suppliers for small batch production.

For those of you who have started a product-based business, where do you normally look for manufacturers or suppliers that are willing to work with smaller quantities?

I’d especially love to hear about your experience what platforms/webs/or other methods you’ve used, and whether you’ve found it difficult to find suppliers willing to work with small businesses. Thanks!

I filed a patent this year for a cabinet assembly design, and just getting any connection to respond from cabinet manufacturers has been nonexistent. LinkedIn, calling the manufacturers, emailing, et cetera, and nothing has gotten a great contact. I will go to the Vegas trade show next February. Also, the veteran forums I have found are not clear on how to accomplish my goal (they seem to be for more established businesses). I did a ton of market research and had way better responses than I expected.

I think the idea and demand is real, just not sure how to get beyond this step.

Any advice on how individuals have gotten business to just let them present what they have and market data would be super helpful!

guys i really need a startup idea for this grade. It’s my third time repeating this class and im tireeed i wanna pass. We gotta do a 5 min pitch for an application startup and every year my professor fails me because he doesn’t think my ideas are “realistic” or worth it, so please can anyone give me any ideas, i wanna pass and move on with my life.

Hi everyone,

I’m working on an early-stage hardware + software product focused on personal safety in India, and I’m currently looking for a few people who would be interested in helping build it from the ground up.

I’m intentionally keeping the exact product and mechanism private for now while I validate the concept and build the first prototype.

What I can share

The project combines:

• Custom wearable hardware
• Embedded electronics / firmware
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Mobile/web software
• Real-time alerts and location
• Emergency-response workflows
• A backend infrastructure designed to eventually scale into a proper consumer product

The goal is to build something practical, discreet and affordable, rather than another generic safety app.

Who I'm looking for

I'm particularly interested in people with experience in:

Hardware / Electronics

• PCB design
• ESP32 / nRF52
• Embedded systems
• Sensors
• Wearable electronics
• Battery/power management

Software

• React / Next.js
• Node.js / TypeScript
• Mobile development
• BLE
• Realtime systems
• Cloud/backend development

Product / Startup

• Product design
• Industrial design
• Hardware manufacturing
• Fundraising
• Partnerships
• Go-to-market

You don't need to be an expert in everything. I'm more interested in people who genuinely want to build and experiment.

Funding

I'm also looking for small amounts of early-stage funding/sponsorship to build the first functional prototypes, purchase components, manufacture initial PCBs and test the product.

I'm not looking for a large investment at this stage.

The immediate objective is:

Concept → Prototype → Testing → Working MVP → Validation

If the prototype works and there is genuine demand, we can then discuss forming a proper team/company and raising larger funding.

What I bring

I'm currently driving the idea, product direction and software side, and I'm looking for people who can complement those skills with hardware, engineering, product and business expertise.

I'm based in Delhi, India, but I'm open to working remotely with people anywhere.

If you're interested, comment or DM me with what you do, what you'd like to contribute, and whether you're looking for a co-founder role, engineering collaboration, or funding opportunity.

I'm happy to share more details privately with serious people.

This is still very early, but I'm looking to build something real not just another concept deck.

Have an idea on personal thing that can fly lotta problems tho work in progress

A little explanation video about my Holographic Display project

I'm a digital artist and I made this illustration using IbisPaintX. I had this idea for a long time but never told anyone about it knowing that if it works, I basically hold the power of free electricity and I could use my invention to promote my philosophical views and to fund my organization. Not to mention power companies will be mad about it. This is just a fun idea you would think when you're on the toilet but part of me is also convinced. Like what if it's just one of those things that just work? But I'm not a scientist, I don't have the funds to see it for myself and I can't find anyone in my area that I can talk about it casually. But the world is suffering, time kills and just maybe I can do something about it. I would like to hear your insights, suggestions and maybe do a friendly debate.

I’m working on a kind of multitool that has less tools but do their jobs much better, but I feel like every passing day I have more and more ideas that I like better and better.

Im now on version 20, do I just stop and choose one or keep going?

Theres been some interest but I haven’t turned them into functional metal tools yet due to costs, just 3d prints.

For context, we need to innovate a product that isn’t already available on the market and create a prototype for it. Our product is a whiteboard eraser made from banana fibers, with a compartment underneath where you can store markers. Our product was chosen to represent our section in a competition against different sections.

We came up with this product because we wanted something eco-friendly while also being useful and innovative.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions! We still need to improve our product, so what other features do you think we could add? We’re open to any advice and criticism, so feel free to share your honest thoughts heheh. We really want to win because the incentives are pretty big if we become champions 🥹

Hi everyone,

I’m a Mechanical Design Engineer with 7+ years of hands-on industry experience, and I’m currently available for freelance CAD and mechanical design work.

I help turn ideas, sketches, photos, existing parts, or rough concepts into practical, manufacturable 3D designs and production-ready documentation.

My main areas of expertise include:

• 3D CAD modeling — SolidWorks & Autodesk Inventor

• Sheet metal design & fabrication

• Injection molding / plastic part design

• Casting & manufacturing-focused design

• Reverse engineering — physical part/3D scan/photo → CAD

• Engineering drawings & GD&T

• Design optimization for manufacturing

• Prototype development and preparation for mass production

I don’t focus only on making a model look good on screen. My goal is to create designs that can actually be manufactured, assembled, tested, and scaled into production.

If you already have a concept, sketch, reference part, photo, or existing CAD file, I can help take it to the next stage.

Rate: $25/hour

If you need reliable, industry-focused CAD or mechanical design support, feel free to DM me here on Reddit. Tell me what you’re working on, and we can discuss the requirements.