Bring Me the Witch's Broomstick

Inventors want to know what it takes to get a strong "yes" from Invention City. A strong yes means that we will invest our time and money in an effort to commercialize an invention without asking for any money from the inventor. It could be a licensing deal (we pay royalties) or some other deal structure.

One way it happens is when we see a submission that simply looks amazing: proven demand, strong patent potential, fat profit potential, large easily targeted market, low development risk. Inventions that cross all those t's and dot all those i's are extremely rare.

Another thing that can get us to a strong yes is the Witch's Broomstick.

Anyone who's seen the Wizard of Oz knows that the Wizard tells Dorothy he'll grant her wish to go home if she brings him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy and her companions go to the Witch's castle, she melts the witch with a bucket of water, and succeeds in fetching the broomstick. It was a long shot to say the least.

Here at Invention City, the Witch's Broomstick is the promise of a meaningful order for the invention from a confirmed potential customer—if/when the product is manufactured.

What Does This Look Like in Practice?
Here's one way this might happen:

• Inventor shows a prototype to a buyer at a large company, and the buyer says "I'll buy 10,000 units of that for $25 per unit when you get it made"

• Invention City contacts the buyer to confirm they actually said that

• The buyer confirms their interest in writing

That confirmation changes everything. Suddenly we're not just evaluating an idea or even a prototype. We're looking at a product with a customer already lined up. The market research is done. The demand is proven. Someone with purchasing power has put their professional reputation on the line by expressing serious interest.

Why Is This So Powerful?
The Witch's Broomstick solves the biggest problem in product development: market risk. Most inventions fail not because they don't work, but because nobody buys them. When you bring us confirmed interest from a real buyer, you've de-risked the entire venture.

Think about it from our perspective. We can invest resources into manufacturing setup, tooling, and production because we know there's a customer waiting at the finish line. That first order might even cover our initial costs. It transforms a speculative venture into a calculated business decision.

What Makes a Good Witch's Broomstick?
Not all customer interest is created equal. Here's what makes a broomstick worth bringing to us:

The buyer must be real and reachable. "My friend who works at Walmart said they'd love this" doesn't count if we can't actually talk to that person and confirm their interest. We need a name, title, company, and contact information.

The order must be meaningful. "I'll buy five units" from a small business doesn't move the needle. We're looking for orders that justify manufacturing setup costs—typically thousands of units or tens of thousands of dollars.

The commitment must be specific. Vague expressions of interest like "This is cool, we might be interested" don't qualify. We need numbers: quantity, price point, and timeframe.

The buyer must have authority. The person expressing interest needs to actually have purchasing power or be directly involved in purchasing decisions for their organization.

How Do You Get a Witch's Broomstick?
Getting that meaningful customer commitment is hard work, but here's how inventors have done it successfully:

• Build a working prototype. You need something you can demonstrate. Drawings and descriptions aren't enough to get a serious buyer excited.
• Identify your target customers. Who would actually buy this product in volume? Retailers? Distributors? Industrial users? Government agencies?
• Get in front of decision-makers. Attend trade shows. Make cold calls. Use LinkedIn to identify and reach out to buyers. Request meetings. Yes, it's uncomfortable. Do it anyway.
• Present professionally. Show your prototype, explain the benefits clearly, discuss pricing, and be ready to talk about production timelines. Then ask the magic question: "If we manufacture this product, what kind of order could you commit to?"
• Get it in writing. A verbal commitment is a start, but a letter of intent or email confirmation is much better. Ask the buyer to put their interest in writing, including specific quantities and price points.

The Reality Check
Here's the truth: getting a Witch's Broomstick is difficult. That's exactly why it's valuable. If it were easy, every inventor would do it and we'd be drowning in pre-sold products.

But here's the other truth: if you can't convince even one customer to commit to buying your product, that's important information. It might mean your pricing is wrong, your target market is wrong, or the product itself needs refinement. Better to learn that now than after investing heavily in manufacturing.

Your Broomstick Opens Many Doors
Of course, if you get the Witch's Broomstick, you'll have many options for funding beyond Invention City. A confirmed purchase order from a legitimate buyer is gold in the world of product development. Banks become more willing to lend. Angel investors and venture capitalists pay attention. Manufacturing partners might offer better terms. You could even consider crowdfunding with the confidence that you already have a major customer lined up.

That's perfectly fine with us. Our goal isn't to be your only option—it's to work with great inventions. If securing customer commitments leads you down a different path to success, we're happy for you. But if you want a partner who understands the product development process and can help you scale from that first order to a thriving business, we're here.

The Quest Begins
The Witch's Broomstick is both a door-opener for getting our strong yes and a valuable validation tool for your invention. Like Dorothy's quest, it requires courage, persistence, and a willingness to face some scary challenges. But also like Dorothy, you might discover that you had the power to prove your invention's worth all along.

So grab your prototype, identify your buyers, and start hunting for that broomstick. We'll be here when you return, ready to help you bring your invention to market.

Want to submit your invention to Invention City? Visit our website to learn more about our submission process.