19 Years From Idea To Market For A Marinating Stick, A Metal Tube With Holes, Without Any Regulatory Hurdles: Does Obama Or Congress Have Any Idea How Hard It Is In Real Life To Innovate Or Implement: ACA Anyone?

From The New York Times, "An Invention That Marinated for 19 Years" by Jack Hitt:

Later this month, Mary’s Marinating Sticks are scheduled to go on sale in Target stores. Mrs. Hunter’s invention follows the classic arc seen in movies: she had a good idea, got it patented and found a market.

But that’s the movies. In real life, it’s never that easy. For starters, Mrs. Hunter’s divine idea came to her in 1994. She’s been following through ever since.

It’s safe to say that many very good ideas never get out of the pew — or off the barstool — where they were conceived. Inventors are often quick to explain that a brilliant idea is the easy part and that the real work comes in navigating through the mundane problems and scut work of getting to market. Mrs. Hunter’s sticks are proof of that claim. [Emphasis added.]