How a Simple Idea Turned Into a Product That’s Sold for 8 Years

Submit your product to Gateway: https://inventright.com/go/h3c0kwlZUVp5 How do you turn a simple idea into a real product that keeps selling? In this episode of inventRightTV, Stephen Key interviews Chris (founder of Crazy Dad / Scrape and Save) about how he turned a simple problem—getting the last bit out of jars and cans—into a patented product sold on Amazon for over 8 years. If you’ve ever thought, “This idea is so simple—why hasn’t anyone done it?” this interview shows what actually goes into bringing that idea to life. What looks obvious in hindsight took years of development, multiple product designers, and continuous iteration to get right. Chris shares how he identified a real need, validated the idea by talking to people, and expanded from a niche use case (cat food cans) into a broader product line, including tools for scraping peanut butter jars. He also explains why product design—not the idea—is often the hardest part, and how working with the wrong designers can slow down the process of getting to a manufacturable product. You’ll also learn what it’s like to manufacture a product using Alibaba and suppliers in China, including how iteration on materials and specifications (like silicone softness) impacts the final product. Interestingly, while many inventors worry about manufacturing, Chris found that once the design was correct, production was relatively smooth. Beyond development, this interview highlights a challenge many inventors don’t expect: marketing and scaling. Chris discusses what it’s like running a product business as a solo founder, selling through Amazon, Etsy, and direct fulfillment, and the difficulty of getting a product into the hands of more customers—even when it works. If you’re working on a product idea or trying to figure out how to bring it to market, this conversation offers a realistic look at what it takes—from concept to manufacturing to sales. Common questions answered in this video: How do you turn a simple idea into a product? How long does it take to develop a product? What are the biggest challenges in product design? Is Alibaba a good way to manufacture a product? What does it take to scale a product after launch? Learn more about Chris’s products: 👉 https://crazydadstore.com/ Watch more inventRightTV: https://inventright.com/gateway Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Meet Chris Rasmussen 01:21 The idea behind Cat Spat 03:19 Expanding beyond cat food 04:08 Solving the peanut butter problem 05:04 Product development journey 06:00 Finding manufacturers in China 07:03 Refining materials and design 09:12 Selling and getting the word out 10:37 Running a one-man business 11:49 Biggest challenges and scaling 13:03 Why simple ideas still win 14:41 Education and inventor mindset 16:21 Closing thoughts and advice License your ideas, inventions, and products with the help of inventRight. Find out how by calling +1 (650) 793-1477 or emailing [email protected]. Do you have the next big hit? New to the licensing business model? Educate yourself first. — Read “One Simple Idea”: amzn.to/4fwVVOT — Explore inventRight’s Free Inventor Resources: bit.ly/3AaGko2 About inventRightTV inventRightTV is the leading source of information for inventors and product developers on YouTube. With 80,000 subscribers, average monthly views between 64,000–78,000, and average monthly impressions nearing 1 million, becoming an inventRightTV sponsor ensures you reach an extremely targeted audience. Email [email protected] for more information and to apply. ------------ inventRight, LLC. is not a law firm and does not provide legal, patent, trademark, or copyright advice. Please exercise caution when evaluating any information, including but not limited to business opportunities; links to news stories; links to services, products, or other websites. No endorsements are issued by inventRight, LLC., expressed or implied. Depiction of any trademarks/logos does not represent endorsement of inventRight, LLC, its services, or products by the trademark owner. All trademarks are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Reference on this video to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, company, or trademark does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by inventRight, LLC or its hosts. This video may contain links to external websites that are not provided or maintained by or in any way affiliated with inventRight, LLC. Please note that the inventRight LLC. does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.