JD: Our guest, our star guest today, is the inventor of the Tadpole Swimsuit. Welcome to the show, Michael!
Michael: Hey, hey! Glad to be here. Thanks, guys.
JD: Absolutely. Thank you for making time. You’re one of the first people I reached out to in terms of inventors in the wild. We started this a couple of months ago. You’re not a Bold Patents client, but you have an invention and you’re excited to bring it to the market. You’ve been at it for a while. Tell us about what you’ve invented.
Michael: Well, before we get started, I don’t remember sending you that second-to-last question like three years ago about what to do when you have an idea. So thank you for reading my question that I didn’t even know I sent.
JD: Yeah, yeah.
Michael: So, behind me is my invention, the Tadpole Swimsuit. I’m trying to change the way children learn how to swim. I have two kids of my own, and when my toddler son jumped in the water with nothing on to be like his big sister, I freaked out for a second and thought, there’s got to be a better way. There wasn’t a solution that met my expectations, so here we are.
JD: Cool. Can you show it off?
Michael: Absolutely. This is a three-year-old size. It takes buoyancy away from just the chest and arms, which is what we normally have to work with as parents of young kids, and spreads it across the whole body from ankle to elbow with 24 strategically placed pockets. These pockets are modular, so as the child learns how to swim, you can start taking the pockets out one at a time. Just like when we go to the gym to get stronger, we gradually reduce the resistance so the child can develop their muscular strength along with flexibility and coordination. Right now, the only option is binary: the kid wears their water wings all summer long, and at the end of summer, you just take them off. They go from full buoyancy to nothing, which doesn’t make any sense.
Matt: Love it. It looks great and very unique.
JD: Have you had any success in terms of going to market?
Michael: Yes, I started with a prototype to get proof of concept, and it worked well. I’ve been selling to friends, family, and my neighborhood to tweak the design. Through word of mouth, I got my first commercial client, a local pool installation company. The owner loves it and wants to put a hundred of them in his stores. I’m currently working on bulk manufacturing for three, four, and five-year-olds to get them into his shop.
Matt: Super cool. Any idea what you’re thinking from a retail perspective?
Michael: My goal is to retail around $100. I was aiming for $80, but with post-COVID inflation, it’s been challenging. If I can keep it around $100, I’d be happy. It’s the cost of a full-body swimsuit plus flotation and maybe one swim lesson.
Matt: That makes sense. It looks pretty comfortable for kids to wear, more so than a life vest or floaties. I think it would be great for younger kids, especially if you have a pool or go to a cabin frequently.
Michael: Exactly. My concept is to make learning how to swim as easy as play. As parents, we take our kids to the playground and let them play to burn off energy. I created this suit so little kids could feel confident enough to do what the big kids are doing, whether they’re swimming, treading, or picking stuff up. It gives them the flexibility to do whatever they want. It’s not a life-saving device like a Coast Guard-certified vest, but a tool to help kids get their full body in the water and develop the natural motion of swimming.
JD: Do you have a patent on this?
Michael: It’s patent pending. I started with prototypes to get proof of concept and filed my paperwork once I realized I had something with potential. As soon as you publish it, the clock starts ticking, and you have one year to get your patent in order. Everything is pending right now, and I have my fingers crossed.
JD: What advice would you give to someone listening who might be where you were a year or two ago? What mistake should they avoid?
Michael: The mistake is getting it out into the public eye too early. Look before you leap and weigh the pros and cons. If you have an idea in a saturated market, it’s one thing, but if you’ve created something entirely new, you need to protect yourself. It’s not a matter of if but when others will start making knockoffs. The more you can do to protect yourself, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
JD: Can I give listeners your email address to reach out and ask questions?
Michael: Absolutely. You can reach me at [email protected]. You can also find me on LinkedIn. Besides doing this, I’ve been a professional photographer and cinematographer for over 20 years. I was a combat photographer in the Marine Corps and love business in general. I’m happy to talk shop with anyone who wants to.