Spotted a problem, go it alone or bring a partner onboard?

One of the earliest decisions many healthcare innovators face after spotting a patient problem worth solving has nothing to do with the invention itself.  It’s deciding whether to develop their idea alone or invite someone else onto the journey.  I’ve now experienced both approaches with each teaching me valuable lessons, so I thought I’d share them here within this blog post.

How LEAFix Began

Way back in 2004, I experienced one of those moments that many inventors describe as a lightning bolt moment of inspiration.   Whilst observing a patient during clinical practice, I spotted a genuine patient problem; multi-patient generic hospital tape being used to secure a patients vital endo- tracheal breathing tube.  It really was a lightning bolt moment, a physical sensation that felt like it hit me from above my head and passed down through my body. I instinctively knew we could do so much better than this crude archaic practice.

That observation would eventually become LEAFix, the world’s first adhesive single-patient-use airway securing device.

The problem was, I had absolutely no idea what to do with this global issue I’d just identified.

For the next eleven years it remained an idea that was niggling at me and bubbling away in my mind, I simply knew I had to develop it at some point. Then in 2014 that point came my way, a chance conversation with a successful inventor changed everything. He inspired me though his success, that me an ordinary person really could develop a successful Invention to tackle the problem which I’d identified all those years ago. Amongst his advice was one suggestion I hadn’t expected.

“Don’t do it on your own” he confidently told me. His statement wasn’t about technical expertise, “It’ll be boring on your own” he said .  He explained that sharing the journey meant sharing the 'setbacks & successes', whilst also 'sharing the load'.

The very next day I invited a colleague on-board the project giving them the chance to become the co-inventor of LEAFix.

Looking back, my method of selecting a partner wasn’t exactly conventional, but it did the job. (You can read about my selection process for ‘LEAFix co-inventor’ here.)

 

This Time, I’ve Chosen a Different Path

Over the past eighteen months I’ve developed three completely new medical devices to three identified patient problems as a sole inventor, with each now at working prototype stage.  Having stepped back from the day to day development of LEAFix, for numerous reasons it felt like the right time to focus on my newly identified clinical problems.

This time, I deliberately chose to work alone.

Only someone who has developed a medical device independently will truly understand the experience.  The conversations you have with yourself can be very interesting, they can also be quite surprising at times, like there are several people in there with a different view debating the merits of designs and features.

Before starting each project, I asked myself the same questions I asked when developing LEAFix:

• Is this a genuine unmet clinical need, does it need a solution?

• Has somebody already solved it, if so why isn't it successful, how can it be improved?

• Can staff use this, does it work?

 

Lets build a solution: the doubt, the dreaded doubt!

What I will say though, is starting out having spotted a patient problem and trying to formulate a medical device solution to solve that problem is absolutely terrifying, regardless of whether your working alone or with a partner. (I might delve deeper into this psychology in another post)

Trying to formulate a solution, especially working alone is like sand falling through your fingers at first, it psychologically feels like you're wandering about in a strange room in the pitch-black darkness, wearing a blindfold reaching out in front desperately trying to get a feel for your surroundings.  You’ve very little to go on and at times you literally think what on earth am I doing?!

But you push on, you push on through that phase because at some point you get a foot-hold, you can feel it, but the doubts persists, the dreaded doubts. 

But the break-though will come, for me often it comes in the form of a working prototype, it works, it works!!!!  Then showing that working prototype to a trusted experienced colleague in the field of the problem, validation.  That settles the doubt and builds genuine confidence. But you’ll feel it, ohhhhh yeeeeah: The fear, the doubt, but push on through to the other side.  

 

So Which Approach Is Better?

Having experienced both, I’ve found there are genuine advantages to each.

Working with a partner gives you:

• Someone to challenge your thinking.

• Shared responsibility during difficult periods.

• Someone to bounce ideas off.

• Someone to celebrate the wins with.

• Emotional support when things inevitably don’t go to plan.

  
  

Working alone gives you:

• Complete creative freedom.

• Faster decision making.

• No compromises over design direction.

• Full ownership of the vision.

• The satisfaction of knowing every step has come directly from your own work.

The Psychology Is Completely Different

What has surprised me most isn’t the practical difference of working alone or with a partner, it’s the psychological one.  Inventing can be exhilarating one day and complete doom the next.  There are moments when you’re convinced you’ve solved an important clinical problem, followed by days where you question every decision you’ve made.

As a sole inventor, there’s nobody to reassure you that you’re still on the right path, equally there’s nobody to slow you down either.  I’ve noticed motivation can wane a bit when you’re doing this alone as you don’t answer to anybody but yourself.  However, every success feels entirely yours, as does every setback, which seem to be more common. 

Invent alone or invite a partner??

Whether you choose to invent your solution with a partner or go it alone, having done both I really don’t think there’s a right answer, as both paths have their own strengths and challenges. The key probably is understanding what works best for you and your goals. If you do choose a partner, take the time to find someone who shares your values, complements your skills, you trust, supports you and is just as committed to the vision as you are.

But don’t feel like you need a partner to create your solution to the problem you’ve identified. If you’ve spotted a genuine problem, have the creativity to develop the solution yourself, and are prepared to be doggedly determined with a never-give-up attitude, you already have what it takes to go it alone. Working independently will absolutely test you, but it will also build your confidence & resilience quickly, and develop your ability to make decisions faster than you may have imagined.

If you've come this far, I'd say trust your instincts, believe in your own creativity, and the main message is keep going!  Maybe the best partner you’ll ever have is your own self-belief and natural talent. Don’t listen to all the doubters and don't be afraid to go for it and build your vision on your own.