Editor’s note: Devin White is a 14-year-old aspiring inventor and youth blogger for Inventors Digest.
By Devin White
Let’s say you’ve just thought of a great idea. What to do next?
To start; WRITE IT DOWN! 
Forgetfulness happens to the best of us, so take 30 seconds to just jot down a couple of lines. Then you go on with your day and when you find some time, pick up that piece of paper, and you’re set to go.
Some might tell you to go search the Internet for similar products at this point. I feel a little differently. My advice is to take your time. Try to cover all the angles of your idea. Try to see what it’s made out of, if the technology exists; really try to know your idea front and back.
What some innovators forget is that they are the expert. No one knows your idea better than YOU do. Once you feel that you’re the expert, then feel free to go see if a product like yours already exists. At this point in the process, you may find that there isn’t anything even close to your idea out there. This is fantastic news, you’re not home free yet, there are still many more checkpoints, but it’s a good push in the right direction.
On the flip side you may find, to your dismay, that there is already a product out there like yours. DON’T give up hope. You’re the expert on the idea and you can now evaluate the current product, find it’s flaws, then perhaps go after a product extension. It’s all about taking the next step in your idea. Then once you feel committed, you want to take the right step in the right direction. Let’s Show the WORLD, Don’t Stop Thinking.
