Impossible is usually just unbuilt. Jessica O. Matthews takes a comedian's wildest invention idea and maps a path to making it real.

He pitches a machine that scans for bigotry and blasts it away with a shea butter-scented ray. Jessica breaks it down the way she would any wild idea. She finds the parts that already exist, turns the problem into something you can measure, and asks the question many inventors skip: who's going to pay for it? Then the pitch borrows from airport security and lands on one of the most useful ideas in invention, amplifying existing behavior (theoretically, of course).

Got an idea that sounds too wild to build? Join the Lived Labs waitlist, a community for aspiring inventors: livedlabs.co

Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:09) The pitch: a machine that scans for hate
(00:48) Taking a wild idea seriously
(01:06) Building from parts that already exist
(01:33) Making the problem measurable
(02:15) Possible vs. fundable
(02:46) Piggybacking on airport security
(03:00) Amplifying existing behavior
(03:59) When invention becomes mind reading
(04:09) Where to find his comedy

Find his comedy on Instagram: @cfauldenlaffs

#LivedLabs #Prototype #Invention

If your idea feels too big to build, the problem may not be the idea. It may be the prototype you have in mind. Many first-time inventors picture a single model that has to look finished, work perfectly, and feel right before anything gets tested. That's too much to ask of a first attempt.

On this episode of P Word, Jessica O. Matthews breaks down the three types of prototypes and what each one is for. A looks-like prototype tests appearance, a works-like prototype tests function, and a feels-like prototype tests the real experience of using it. Through surprisingly relatable examples, Jessica shows how each test can run on its own, often with things you already own, and why something can pass one test and still fail another. Separate the questions, and one overwhelming project becomes a series of small tests you can start now.

Topics covered:

• What looks-like, works-like, and feels-like prototypes are and when to use each
• How to test an idea with materials you already have
• Why giving each prototype one job makes building less overwhelming

CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction
(00:30) The textbook definitions of each prototype
(01:57) The looks-like prototype
(02:32) The works-like prototype
(03:18) Testing with what you already own
(03:54) The feels-like prototype
(04:15) Running all three tests on a second example
(06:54) Why one prototype can't do everything
(07:20) Breaking your idea into small tests

📌 Join the Lived Labs waitlist at livedlabs.co

#LivedLabs #Prototype #Invention

You can protect an invention idea for about $200 and 12 months of runway, and almost nobody knows that. Most people sit on an idea for years because they think the next step requires money, a workshop, or a title they don't have.

I met Jeff at Harlem Tavern and asked him one question: “What's something you think should exist that doesn't yet?”

We took his idea and walked through how to turn it into a real proof of concept, something that could be built on the spot with stuff from the corner store. The gap between "I have an idea" and "I built something" is smaller than people think. This is what Proof of Concept is all about, showing you that your lived experience already qualifies you to invent.

Topics covered:

• What a provisional patent costs and what it protects
• How to build a proof of concept from things you already have
• Why lived experience, not credentials, is what qualifies someone to invent

CHAPTERS
(00:00) The Diapey idea
(01:42) Building the proof of concept
(03:13) What a provisional patent actually costs
(03:26) Turning your idea into an invention with Lived Labs

Start your own invention at livedlabs.co

#LivedLabs #ProofOfConcept #Invention