Is "Question Moms" a scam?
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Is "Question Moms" a scam?
We can’t tell you if it’s a scam or not, but we can tell you using sites like these are not a good idea for inventors.
“Question Moms” (www.questionmoms.com) appears to be the newest entry into the world of extracting money from inventors in a, not so novel, paid introduction between the unknowing and the knowing.
The model is simple, pay to ask your question and have it answered by an “expert” in the industry or a group of moms that can give you feedback – anonymously.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re all about inventors asking expert advice. The problem here is your paying for advice most experts will give you for free, and in the end you have no way of knowing if that’s a real expert or just one the site has appointed. They use a profile, but there is no apparent process for vetting the experts, or ensuring they even work in the industry. For all you know it could be a high school freshman with a paypal account giving you "expert" advice on your product.
So what are the real issues with sites like this?
You really need to make sure the person answering your question knows what they are talking about. This industry has no shortages of “experts” and “gurus” and that number is sure to multiply when they can make easy money for a quick email answer. This often causes people who may know a little about one area of the industry to start answering questions about things they know little about.
“Anonymous” is a dangerous term because it absolves the opinion of any responsibility. You don’t know these people, you have no idea if they are the correct demographic for your product, potential consumers or maybe even some “unstable” person just hanging out on the Internet. This is not the type of research you do in product development and it could harm the development process quicker than it can help it.
Contrary to what many would have you think, inventing is not a team sport. The legal ramifications of a site like this could be many. From public disclosure issues that cost you future patent protection, to claims of co-inventor from one of those “anonymous” moms whose suggestion you happen to implement into your final product. These sites often make no attempt to address these issues often because they don't want you to think about them.
Bottom line – don’t waste your time or your money on gimmicks like this. They come and go, and in the end, the only one who benefits is the site owner and the “experts” as they put your money in their pocket.
We contacted the site owner of "Question Moms" with our concerns several weeks ago however they chose not to respond.
“Question Moms” (www.questionmoms.com) appears to be the newest entry into the world of extracting money from inventors in a, not so novel, paid introduction between the unknowing and the knowing.
The model is simple, pay to ask your question and have it answered by an “expert” in the industry or a group of moms that can give you feedback – anonymously.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re all about inventors asking expert advice. The problem here is your paying for advice most experts will give you for free, and in the end you have no way of knowing if that’s a real expert or just one the site has appointed. They use a profile, but there is no apparent process for vetting the experts, or ensuring they even work in the industry. For all you know it could be a high school freshman with a paypal account giving you "expert" advice on your product.
So what are the real issues with sites like this?
You really need to make sure the person answering your question knows what they are talking about. This industry has no shortages of “experts” and “gurus” and that number is sure to multiply when they can make easy money for a quick email answer. This often causes people who may know a little about one area of the industry to start answering questions about things they know little about.
“Anonymous” is a dangerous term because it absolves the opinion of any responsibility. You don’t know these people, you have no idea if they are the correct demographic for your product, potential consumers or maybe even some “unstable” person just hanging out on the Internet. This is not the type of research you do in product development and it could harm the development process quicker than it can help it.
Contrary to what many would have you think, inventing is not a team sport. The legal ramifications of a site like this could be many. From public disclosure issues that cost you future patent protection, to claims of co-inventor from one of those “anonymous” moms whose suggestion you happen to implement into your final product. These sites often make no attempt to address these issues often because they don't want you to think about them.
Bottom line – don’t waste your time or your money on gimmicks like this. They come and go, and in the end, the only one who benefits is the site owner and the “experts” as they put your money in their pocket.
We contacted the site owner of "Question Moms" with our concerns several weeks ago however they chose not to respond.
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