His other inventions were the repeating rifle (patented by Winchester), the sewing machine (patented by Howe), flax spinner, knife sharpener, streetcar bell, hard-coal-burning stove, artificial stone, street sweeping machinery, the velocipede and the ice plough.

He received patents for a nail making machine, bottle stoppers, paper shirt collars (deemed of little value at the time and scoffed at but forty years later over 400 million were being worn each year) and a non-explosive lamp. He invented many other things for which he did not receive a patent, including an antipodean apparatus that could be attached to shoes so a person could walk upside down on a ceiling. Circus performers used this invention as late as 1937. Walter Hunt was a prolific inventor.

Walter Hunt biggest failure was not getting a patent his sewing machine because of his perception.  He believed it would put seamstresses out of work.  Twenty years after he built the first sewing machine prototype out of wood and his brother replicated it out of metal Elias Howe applied and received a patient for the sewing machine.

After Elias Howe’s introduction of the sewing machine to the market Walter Hunt tried unsuccessfully to gain financial reward for his work through the courts. Hunt convinced Isaac Singer, a bitter rival of Howe’s, to support and back him in his litigation against Howe. He convinced the judge that he did in fact design and build the first sewing machine but he did not have any of the original plans or even the prototype machine as evidence because all had been lost or discarded.  Howe won.  Singer did not honor his commitment and Hunt sued him.

Although Isaac Merritt Singer claimed that he had invented the first working sewing machine that wasn’t true.  What he did was to improve it.  His talent was to take the best of what had existed and make it better. He did patented dozens of improvements to sewing machines and bought numerous others to tighten his grip on the market.

Isaac Merritt Singer came from poverty and had street smarts and charisma.  He spent a decade working as an actor in a traveling show. He was a promoter. Singer’s real genius was marketing.  He built a marketing company, which sent salesmen all over the country introducing the product.  Singer promoted the Singer Sewing Machine with such pizazz and flare that it became the number one brand sewing machine in the world. Singer’s marketing used mass give-a-ways, beautiful models, showrooms, and sewing instructors.  He pioneered installment-purchasing plans and accepted trade-in. His marketing was as innovative as his product.

Singer and Howe eventually worked together to form a monopoly and to become two of the richest men in America.

Hunt was a genius that could see a solution to a problem but he was not a marketer. He could not see the potential of his inventions to build wealth.  What is perception?  Perception is reality. It is reality for us and for our prospects.  Perceptions are shaped by design and experiences.  Your brand is your perception.

We all have good ideas. Maybe we don’t invent something as simple and useful as the safety pin but who knows because most of us share a shortcoming that Walter Hunt had.  We don’t have the commitment or confidence to pursue our ideas and follow through. We quit.  We simply forget about the idea.  We say it wouldn’t have worked anyway.  We quit before we even try.  How many people do you think came up with the idea of a ‘social network’ like FaceBook before FaceBook?  Judging by the number of lawsuits there were quite a few people who participated or had the idea of communicating with friends via the Internet.

Better products or services seldom win.  Better marketing wins.  Perception is reality.

Do your perceptions of your products/services match those of your prospects and customers.  It’s doubtful.  You have much more committed to your offering than the consumer.  Test it.  Hire a researcher to talk with your customers and get their insight.  If you understand their perceptions you can create advertising that means something to them and they will listen and buy. You will build your brand. Learn to ask better questions and listen.