Floridian Judging Next "American Inventor"

Clearwater, FL native, runner-up on "The Rebel Billionaire" and inventor of Spanx body shapers, Sara Blakely, recently spoke with the Tampa Tribune about her experience judging "American Inventor". She worked with Simon Cowell, George Foreman, Peter Jones and entrepreneur Pat Croce on the show's second season.

I remember being excited about "American Inventor" when it was first announced, but I only saw one episode. I was hoping it was about entrepreneurs and startup companies, but it was really about wacky inventions. As with all those reality shows, it's about entertainment.

This season sounds like no exception. As a venture capitalist, I see a lot of crazy ideas, but this quote sums up what we might expect from season two:

"We saw a man who had invested $1 million to create a new superhero, The Cougar," Blakely said. "He showed up with his friend dressed from head to toe in the all-black 'The Cougar' costume. It was weird. Another man invented what was basically a wheel, and when we told him that it had already been done, he started yelling at us."

Here's a couple videos for all you inventors out there -- passion is critical, but it ain't everything:

UPDATE, 06-07-07: The brother of one of the AI contestants commented below and I liked the core idea. How can Greg make it a no-brainer for buyers? Enjoy the video via Jeff at Northstar Thinktank:

Related images: American Inventor, George Foreman, Pat Croce, Sara Blakely, Simon Cowell, inventions