Stephen Dubner

Travis Thull has a variety of degrees in electrical engineering, including a doctorate. He has changed jobs since we first spoke with him for the series. He is now vice president of student success and engagement at Minnesota State University, Mankato. In his day job, Thull is not a failure. At least, I'm pretty sure he's not. I don't have his personnel file.

Travis Thull has a variety of degrees in electrical engineering, including a doctorate. He has changed jobs since we first spoke with him for the series. He is now vice president of student success and engagement at Minnesota State University, Mankato. In his day job, Thull is not a failure. At least, I'm pretty sure he's not. I don't have his personnel file.

Travis Thull has a variety of degrees in electrical engineering, including a doctorate. He has changed jobs since we first spoke with him for the series. He is now vice president of student success and engagement at Minnesota State University, Mankato. In his day job, Thull is not a failure. At least, I'm pretty sure he's not. I don't have his personnel file.

His failure goes back to more than 10 years ago when he was a junior officer on active duty with the Coast Guard.

His failure goes back to more than 10 years ago when he was a junior officer on active duty with the Coast Guard.

His failure goes back to more than 10 years ago when he was a junior officer on active duty with the Coast Guard.

The idea was for a device that Thull came to call the Ramen Now. That's with an exclamation point.

The idea was for a device that Thull came to call the Ramen Now. That's with an exclamation point.

The idea was for a device that Thull came to call the Ramen Now. That's with an exclamation point.

Foe and his friend from Milwaukee, Juju Johnson, started to build prototypes. Their first attempt was a massive contraption. Over time, they got it down to the size of a Kleenex box.

Foe and his friend from Milwaukee, Juju Johnson, started to build prototypes. Their first attempt was a massive contraption. Over time, they got it down to the size of a Kleenex box.

Foe and his friend from Milwaukee, Juju Johnson, started to build prototypes. Their first attempt was a massive contraption. Over time, they got it down to the size of a Kleenex box.

He thought the ramen now might be the next George Foreman grill.

He thought the ramen now might be the next George Foreman grill.

He thought the ramen now might be the next George Foreman grill.

That's when Travis Thull learned a hard reality. Most firms, at least firms in the home appliance business, are not willing to invest their own money in developing new products. You can see why this might make sense. There are a lot of home inventors out there, and it'd be easy to go broke funding them. On the other hand, there are a lot of home inventors out there.

That's when Travis Thull learned a hard reality. Most firms, at least firms in the home appliance business, are not willing to invest their own money in developing new products. You can see why this might make sense. There are a lot of home inventors out there, and it'd be easy to go broke funding them. On the other hand, there are a lot of home inventors out there.

That's when Travis Thull learned a hard reality. Most firms, at least firms in the home appliance business, are not willing to invest their own money in developing new products. You can see why this might make sense. There are a lot of home inventors out there, and it'd be easy to go broke funding them. On the other hand, there are a lot of home inventors out there.

And many of the products we all use today were developed not in the R&D lab of a big company, but in the garage of some home inventor. Eric von Hippel is an economist at MIT. He co-founded the MIT Entrepreneurship Program. We spoke with him a few years ago for an episode about the power of home invention. The episode was called Honey, I Grew the Economy.

And many of the products we all use today were developed not in the R&D lab of a big company, but in the garage of some home inventor. Eric von Hippel is an economist at MIT. He co-founded the MIT Entrepreneurship Program. We spoke with him a few years ago for an episode about the power of home invention. The episode was called Honey, I Grew the Economy.