In the marketplace of ideas, inventors often face two very distinct challenges: developing a novel invention and successfully bringing that invention to the attention of customers, partners, or industry players. Robert “Bob” Susa, President and Owner of InventHelp, a long-standing invention services organization, has built his professional life around helping inventors navigate each of these phases. His work at InventHelp over four decades emphasizes both systematic invention development and strategic invention marketing—but just as importantly, it distinguishes clearly between them.
To understand Susa’s perspective, we first need to define what each phase involves, why they are different, and how Susa’s leadership addresses the unique demands of each.
Understanding Invention Development
According to the profile summaries on sites like Black-Inventor.com and American-Inventor.com, Robert Susa views invention development as the foundation of innovation—the early, highly technical, and creative process that turns an idea into something that could work in the real world. At its core, invention development is about feasibility, refinement, and structure.
In this phase, the focus is on transforming a raw concept into a prototype or design that demonstrates the idea in practice. Susa’s organization offers services that support this work, including model prototype creation, patent referrals, and consultative guidance on how the invention operates. These services help inventors move from “just an idea” to something that can be evaluated, understood, and—critically—shown to others with credibility.
In Susa’s framework, invention development requires patience, iteration, and attention to technical detail. A product could exist at this stage without any guarantee that it will ever find traction in the marketplace. The goal is not yet commercial success, but rather proof of concept—that the idea can reliably function and has intrinsic value independent of an audience. Invention development is, therefore, inherently introspective: it asks what the idea is, what it does, and whether it solves a real problem.
This aligns with broader definitions in innovation theory: invention is often described as the initial creative act of producing something new or novel, regardless of its market reach or profitability. It’s technically grounded and centered on the creation itself, not yet on its audience.
What Invention Marketing Entails
In contrast to development, marketing is outward-looking. It involves understanding who might care about the invention, how to communicate its value, and where it fits relative to other products and needs in the marketplace.
Robert Susa’s leadership at InventHelp has emphasized tools that support this outward phase, such as professional promotional materials, submission presentations, websites tailored to the invention, and access to trade shows or industry exposure platforms. The idea here is to present the developed invention in ways that engage potential partners, manufacturers, or investors.
Where development is about creating the product, marketing is about creating opportunity. It requires a different mindset: from technical accuracy to persuasive communication, from prototype refinement to strategic positioning. Marketing asks inventors to think about the needs and preferences of others—not just the internal logic of the invention itself.
Invention marketing can involve several layers—messaging that resonates with audiences, visual presentation that highlights benefits, and contextual understanding of competitive products. Effective marketing positions an invention not just as an idea, but as a solution in a specific market environment.
Susa’s Distinction Between The Two
Robert Susa’s professional perspective highlights an important distinction: invention development and marketing serve different purposes and require separate approaches.
1. Purpose And Focus
Invention development answers the question: Can this idea work? It is concerned with technical potential, form, and proof. Susa’s approach acknowledges that no invention can advance without this foundational stage. From prototype creation to understanding patent requirements, development is about validating the idea itself.
In contrast, marketing answers a different question: Can this idea be understood and valued by others? Even the most ingenious invention will remain dormant without effective communication about its benefits, its fit in existing industries, or its allure to potential adopters. Susa’s company supports this with presentation tools and industry access that help inventors showcase their concepts professionally.
2. Skill Sets Required
Development leans heavily on technical and engineering-oriented thinking. It demands precision in design, clarity in function, and, often, substantial iteration. Marketing, by contrast, requires skills in communication, audience insight, and strategy—skills that draw from business, psychology, and market research.
By separating these domains, Susa helps inventors recognize that excelling as a creator does not automatically make one an expert in persuasion or audience engagement.
3. Timing And Sequence
Susa’s philosophy also implies that invention development should precede marketing. A solid prototype or well-formed idea has far more persuasive force when it reaches a marketplace. Without development, marketing becomes speculative or hollow; without marketing, development can languish unrecognized.
This sequential view is essential: developing something that works and marketing something that sells are both necessary, but neither can fully substitute for the other.
Why The Distinction Matters
Making a clear distinction between invention development and marketing empowers inventors to allocate their time and resources more wisely. It clarifies that:
• Technical competence is not the same as market appeal. A well-developed product might be ignored without effective marketing.
• Marketing cannot compensate for a weak product. No amount of messaging can fully mask flaws or impractical designs.
• Each phase deserves specialized attention. Inventors benefit from recognizing where they need help—whether refining an idea or communicating its value.
In Susa’s narrative at InventHelp, this dual focus supports a more realistic—and more strategic—approach to innovation assistance. By structuring services that address both sides of the process, he long advocated for professionalism, clarity, and practical support for everyday inventors.
Robert Susa’s leadership and perspective on invention services underscore a fundamental truth in creative entrepreneurship: that creating something new and bringing it to market are distinct but complementary endeavors. Invention development is the deep work of refinement, feasibility, and structure. Invention marketing shifts the gaze outward to communication, audience understanding, and opportunity creation.
Successful inventors and innovation advocates learn to honor both phases, recognizing that breakthroughs happen not just because ideas are good, but because others understand their value, relevance, and potential. In this balance—development first, marketing next—Susa’s guidance offers both structure and encouragement to those who dare to take their ideas forward.