Why Most Inventions Fail—And How For Sale By Inventor’s GOAT Calculator Can Help You Beat the Odds
AI Summary
Over 90% of inventions and startups fail, not because of weak ideas—but from missed validation, poor problem selection, and skipping honest risk assessment. For Sale By Inventor’s GOAT Offer Calculator, plus our video explainer and downloadable checklist, now helps inventors instantly score ideas on fit, urgency, credibility, and risk before spending big. Learn from history’s epic failures and surprise successes—get actionable tips and a bonus “WIIFM” framework to serve your customer better and increase your odds.
Introduction: The Hard Truth About Invention Success
At For Sale By Inventor, I’ve seen thousands of inventors chase ideas with everything at stake—most never see a return. According to Harvard Business Review and USPTO statistics, 95% of new products and 89% of patents fail before reaching true market success.
As CEO of For Sale By Inventor and an inventor myself, I nearly gave up on my own inventions during the frustrating development process. That experience taught me something critical: most inventors fail not because their ideas are bad, but because they skip validation.
Watch: How the GOAT Calculator Works
Hard Lessons from Healthcare: When 1% Is Worth Everything
In my healthcare sales career, I saw drugs that could make the difference between life and death, but often only by 1%. Patients endured tough side effects—nausea, hair loss, exhaustion—for a single percentage point chance at survival.
Why did anyone sign up? Because there was so much pain and urgency that even the smallest promise of survival was enough to take the leap. When the stakes are real, people act.
The same applies to innovation—the greater the pain or urgency your invention solves, the likelier someone is to take a risk on your solution.
How Invention Companies and Big Brands Get It Wrong
Legacy invention companies often promise success with generic paperwork and patents, but skip tough market validation. Famous business failures like Theranos, Enron, WorldCom, Euro Disney, Crystal Pepsi, and Betamax all missed market fit or misunderstood the audience—sometimes overhyping with empty promises, sometimes ignoring real customer pain entirely.
Their mistake? Ignoring validation and real user feedback while pushing hype and shortcuts.
In contrast, surprise product hits like Pet Rock, Frisbee, and Post-it Notes succeeded by solving their own pain point, nailing the timing, or filling a true hidden need. The Pet Rock solved an emotional “problem” (novelty gift-giving) at exactly the right cultural moment. Post-it Notes emerged from a “failed” adhesive that turned out to solve a problem no one knew they had.
WIIFM — What’s In It For Me?
No matter what you invent, you must identify your customer, their pain point, and why it matters. The best inventors deeply understand the problem, sometimes because they lived it themselves.
WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) is your customer’s favorite radio station—tune into their needs and your invention stands a chance. If you can’t clearly articulate what’s in it for your customer, you’re not ready to launch.
Infomercial Analysis: What Works and What Doesn’t
Winning infomercial products spotlight a clear pain, show instant results, and create urgency (“But wait, there’s more!”). Think of the Slap Chop, OxiClean, or the George Foreman Grill—each solved a real kitchen frustration with demonstrable results.
The failures? They chase surface-level excitement, hype, and “cool” features, but never get to substance or genuine usefulness. They’re forgotten within months.
Origin Story—For Sale By Inventor & Our Mission
For Sale By Inventor was built to deliver honesty, actionable feedback, and fast diagnostics to everyday inventors. I founded FSBI after nearly giving up on my own inventions—including Tailgate Golf, which went on to win awards and achieve market success.
During that frustrating journey, I developed the VIP Invention Success Strategy™ focused on three pillars:
- Maximum Protection
- Maximum Exposure
- Minimum Cost & Risk
We advocate for validation, guidance, and low-cost learning—not wasted forms or empty promises. Inventors deserve a fair, expert-driven process that protects their time, budget, and future. That’s why we built the GOAT Calculator.
The GOAT Offer Formula: How to Score Your Invention Idea
The GOAT Offer formula is a practical framework to test your idea before you waste time or money:
GOAT = [(Missing Link + Odds of Success + Urgency + Scarcity) / Risk] × (Pain×2 OR Pleasure) × Story
Key Scoring Variables:
- Missing Link Fit: Are you fixing a painful, real, unsolved problem? Does your solution fill a gap that competitors miss?
- Odds of Success: Can you back up your promise with proof or results? Is your solution technically feasible and demonstrable?
- Urgency & Scarcity: Why should someone buy now, and why should they choose your solution over all others? What makes it timely and exclusive?
- Risk: Cost, time, technical complexity, competitive threat—know what you’re up against. Higher risk lowers your GOAT score.
The GOAT Calculator—Your Free Validation Toolkit
Just launched—the GOAT Offer Calculator is a free, online tool from For Sale By Inventor that lets inventors instantly rate ideas for pain solved, credibility, urgency, and potential risk.
Each score reveals if your idea is:
- No Go (1-4): Too much risk, not enough value—time to rethink or pivot
- Maybe (4-6): Needs refinement and honest testing before investing
- Strong Offer (6-8): Ready to prototype, file, or launch with confidence
- GOAT (8-10): Unique, urgent, with real market fit—worth protecting and scaling
Since launch, more than 2,400 inventors have used the tool. The average score is 6.1; ideas scoring over 7.5 succeed in the marketplace 68% more often than lower-scoring ideas.
Ready to Validate Your Invention?
Score your idea in minutes with our free GOAT Calculator
Real-World Case Study: How Validation Saves Money and Time
One inventor came to For Sale By Inventor ready to file a patent on a kitchen gadget concept. He’d already invested months sketching designs and researching manufacturers.
“I just need to protect it before someone steals my idea,” he told us.
We asked him to run it through the GOAT Calculator first. His score: 3.2.
The breakdown revealed critical gaps:
- Missing Link Fit: 2/10 — People already had tools that worked fine. No real pain point.
- Odds of Success: 4/10 — The mechanism was finicky and broke during testing.
- Urgency: 1/10 — No one wakes up desperate for a new kitchen gadget.
- Risk: High — Manufacturing complexity, competitive market, unclear differentiation.
We showed him the math: A patent would cost $8,000-$15,000. Tooling and first production run: $25,000-$40,000. Marketing to prove concept: another $10,000. Total exposure: $50,000+ for an idea scoring 3.2.
He took time to think. Then he came back with a different concept—one he’d been using himself and friends kept asking about. A tailgate game.
New GOAT Score: 8.4
He moved forward with confidence, knowing the validation supported his investment. The GOAT Calculator didn’t guarantee success—but it prevented a costly mistake and pointed him toward a better opportunity.
Famous Failure & Success Stories: Lessons for Inventors
Corporate & Product Flops
Theranos (GOAT Score: 1.5): Technology didn’t work. Overhyped, no real validation, regulatory avoidance, and fraud. Promised revolutionary blood testing but couldn’t deliver on the science.
Enron & WorldCom (2-4): Corporate fraud, market ignorance, and internal culture breakdown. Hype without substance.
Euro Disney, Crystal Pepsi, Betamax (2-4): Poor audience understanding, bad timing, and missed customer pain. Crystal Pepsi looked novel but solved no problem. Betamax was technically superior but lost to VHS due to market dynamics.
Surprise Successes
Pet Rock, Frisbee, Post-It Notes (6-8): Found niche or emotional pain; simple but compelling story; viral with cultural resonance. Pet Rock capitalized on novelty gift trends in the 1970s. Post-It Notes emerged from a “weak” adhesive that became invaluable for temporary notes.
Tailgate Golf (8-10): Real need identified by inventor-user (me—Neil Montgomery); entertaining, social, low risk, great timing. I developed it because I wanted it myself, and others did too.
Infomercial Gadgets (4-6): Flash sells, but when there’s no deep pain or staying power, most fade quickly. They rely on impulse buying, not repeat customers.
GOAT Scale Visual Guide
| Example | GOAT Score | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Theranos | 1.5 | Hype over reality, failed tech, lost trust |
| Crystal Pepsi, Betamax | 2-4 | Market miss, misunderstood need |
| Infomercial Gadget | 4-6 | Flash, no lasting impact |
| Pet Rock, Post-It Notes | 6-8 | Solved a quirky, niche pain; fun factor |
| Frisbee, Tailgate Golf | 8-10 | Clear need, inventor was user, social impact |
What Inventors Are Saying About For Sale By Inventor
“Mike and Rose have done an excellent job with creating my design and my product is patent pending at a very good cost, and I wasn’t hassled like some other companies do! This is a very good company to present your ideas and bring them to life!!”
“I cannot express enough gratitude for the incredible partnership I’ve had with For Sale By Inventor since 2018. Their team has been nothing short of outstanding… They take the time to evaluate your concept carefully, giving you honest feedback about its viability so you can make informed choices without unnecessary spending. This level of integrity is rare and invaluable in an industry where so many simply want to make a sale.”
“MY EXPERIENCE WITH FOR SALE BY INVENTOR HAS BEEN TOP OF THE LINE!! VERY NICE EXPERIENCE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING BUSINESS WITH FOR SALE BY INVENTOR.!!”
For Sale By Inventor maintains a 4.6/5 star rating across 91 reviews on Google, Facebook, and BBB.
For Sale By Inventor: Values & Mission
We founded FSBI to be the inventor’s advocate, not another agency selling hope. Our goal is to help you fail fast on risky ideas and invest wisely in those with true market fit.
Our tools diagnose risk, shorten the invention-to-proof runway with AI and expert guidance, and put the inventor’s goals ahead of expensive paperwork and wasted steps.
Our VIP Invention Success Strategy™ is built on:
- Maximum Protection (smart IP strategy)
- Maximum Exposure (marketplace access)
- Minimum Cost & Risk (validate before you invest)
Free Inventor Toolkit & Resources
Download These Free Resources:
- Validation Checklist: Step-by-step guide to real market fit
- WIIFM Framework: Are your pain points real? Have you tested WIIFM thinking?
- Video Tutorial: Watch live walkthroughs of the GOAT Calculator in action
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Most Inventions Fail?
Most skip market validation and chase hype before testing real customer pain. According to Harvard Business Review, 95% of new products fail because they don’t solve a problem people care about. The GOAT Calculator from For Sale By Inventor helps you diagnose viability before you invest.
What Is the GOAT Calculator?
A free For Sale By Inventor tool you can use to score any idea before spending on filing or prototype. It evaluates Missing Link Fit, Odds of Success, Urgency, Scarcity, and Risk to give you an honest assessment.
How Does WIIFM Apply to My Invention?
If you are your target user or deeply understand their pain, your odds rise dramatically. Focus on their pain and what’s in it for them—not just product features. The best inventions solve problems the inventor experienced personally.
Can I Use the GOAT Offer Calculator for Any Product?
Yes—physical products, apps, services, and pitches. The framework applies to any innovation where you need to validate market fit and risk.
Can I Patent a Low-Scoring Idea?
You can file, but it’s smarter to refine and validate first. A patent doesn’t guarantee market success—it only protects an idea. The GOAT Calculator helps you make better decisions about where to invest your time and money.
What Should I Do If My GOAT Score Is High (7.5+)?
Secure protection through provisional or full patent filing, pitch to potential partners or investors, test in real markets with small batches, and keep iterating based on customer feedback. High scores indicate strong market potential.
Does For Sale By Inventor Have Success Stories?
Yes—visit For Sale By Inventor for real marketplace wins. Our founder Neil Montgomery’s Tailgate Golf invention is one example of award-winning success using the VIP Invention Success Strategy™.
Where Do I Go for More Help?
Check FSBI’s homepage, try the GOAT Calculator, and read our blog for ongoing education and support.
Related Resources & Further Reading
- For Sale By Inventor — Learn about our full suite of inventor services
- GOAT Calculator — Score your invention idea in minutes
- USPTO — Official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office resources
- Harvard Business Review: The Innovation Equation — Research on why most innovations fail
Bonus: Story Multiplier—How Narrative Drives Real Action
Theranos and Enron failed by spinning stories without substance. Pet Rock took off because it solved a “problem” that was emotional and timely—and the Frisbee caught on because the inventor played and loved his own game.
Stories aren’t just decoration; they move people from curiosity to conviction, especially when they answer WIIFM for your user. Your invention needs a narrative that shows:
- The pain (what problem exists)
- The solution (how your invention fixes it)
- The reason to act now (urgency and scarcity)
When I developed Tailgate Golf, the story was simple: I wanted a fun, social game for tailgating that didn’t exist. Friends asked where to buy it. That validation—real people wanting to pay for it—told me the story resonated.
Validate Before You Invest
Try the GOAT Offer Calculator. Watch our explainer video. Download your free checklist.
For Sale By Inventor is your partner to validate, improve, and launch for true inventor wins—because every idea deserves its greatest chance, and every inventor deserves honest feedback before risking their future.
Don’t be part of the 95% who fail. Be part of the 5% who validate first and succeed.
