Today, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that innovation is a mysterious process that happens only in the basement labs of leading tech companies. Or, for believing that any innovation on a scale below that is just trivial tinkering.

But today’s independent innovations are the nuclei of tomorrow’s successful companies. What began in 2006 as dissatisfaction with existing e-commerce solutions became today’s Shopify, and hundreds of health and sanitation products that were invented in kitchens and garages during the COVID pandemic are making impact today.

The calculus of innovation is really quite simple: Knowledge drives innovation, innovation drives productivity, productivity drives economic growth.

– Dr. William Brody, scientist and product entrepreneur

Many governments appreciate the important role of innovation, and some also acknowledge that the culture of innovation is being lost. For example, Canada recently announced a new “Innovation and Investment Agency” including CAD$1 billion of initial federal funding. The goal is to improve productivity and innovation: the Achilles heel of the Canadian economy according to finance minister Chrystia Freeland.

Canada’s program is itself modeled after successful approaches seen in Finland and Israel. The agency will “…proactively work with new and established Canadian industries and businesses to help them make the investments they need to innovate, grow, create jobs, and be competitive in the changing global economy.”

While such initiatives to help small businesses innovate are a positive step, they stop short of supporting independent innovators when they need the most help: at the very beginning.

As a product development advisor, I often hear the same questions when working with innovators: how do I know if my idea is good enough? Where can I go for trusted guidance? How can I develop my product on my own before I’m eligible for traditional funding or government assistance?

Product Dragon exists to fill this gap. Our resources, classes, and tools provide a pathway to prepare innovators for the realities of modern entrepreneurship.

Our action-level goal is to provide useful innovation support so that any person with an innovative product concept (physical, software, or other) has the tools to self-evaluate whether their product may be viable and to determine practical next steps.

By addressing the early-stage bottlenecks in our innovation economy, more people can contribute their creativity, passion, and unique talents. This creates fulfilling employment, diversifies our economy, and improves quality of life.