The Transformation Equation

Every great invention began as someone’s dream and was transformed from idea to reality.
Just as an electrical transformer can reduce a large amount of energy into something small enough to be viable, so you have the ability to reduce your “big dreams” into simple realities that can change people's lives. 
Inventors go through stages of ideation. Most ideas never make it past level one. Some survive levels two and three, and those that reach levels four and five have the capacity to generate income.
If your goal is to transform your dream into a reality, here is how to proceed:

• Level I: Document it. Write everything down. Envision, play with it, make your dream concrete, at least on paper.
• Level II: Research it. Find out what is already known about it and what remains to be discovered. Research the missing links.
• Level III: Test it. Make a prototype. Find its strengths and weaknesses. Polish and perfect.
• Level IV: Protect it. File a patent so others cannot legally steal your idea.
• Level V: Market it. Allow the public to participate in your transformation.

Think about your current "big idea." At what level of the transformation process are you now? What will it take to move you from where you are to next step up?