Edison was, in fact, not the first inventor to stumble upon the idea of an incandescent bulb. Others many years before tried and failed. So what did Thomas Edison do that others hadn't thought of?
The Edisonian Approach was Edison's way of inventing. Never having been fascinated by math, Edison used this system of trial and error, or hunt and search, rather than theoretical experimentation. But hunt and search was only the last resort for this process. Edison took theories that already existed and made educated guesses on what would become a successful end product. The theories and methods that he bounced off of were usually those of the failed inventors before him. Edison said: "When I want to discover something, I begin by reading up everything that has been done along that line in the past -- that's what all these books in the library are for. I see what has been accomplished at great labor and expense in the past. I gather data of many thousands of experiments as a starting point, and then I make thousands more." When Edison comes up with a completely fresh ideas, there are no theories to go off of. It is then when Edison resorts to hunt and search.
Some earlier inventors were just focusing on improving upon the gas lamp, which is how the idea of the light bulb started. These inventors, however, could not formulate the idea of what a light bulb would look like or how it could work. They had problems developing a filament, as did Edison. Also, they weren't thinking about how the general public could use the light bulb. How would people hook the bulbs up when there were no sockets back then? But Thomas Edison did think of those things. After Thomas Edison figured out the light bulb itself, he wanted it to be easily accessible and affordable to the average person, even those on the poorer side. He even said "We'll make [light bulbs] so cheap, only the rich will burn candles!" When the light bulbs went on the market, Edison did not just sell the bulbs, he sold a whole lighting system, something never thought about before. The set included a generator, cables, metering, etc. This marketing system was not only economically friendly, it allowed people to get rid of their hazardous gas lamps; a competitor of the light bulb.
Edison's obession with perfecting his inventions was so strong, he would usually sleep in his lab for a few hours, then get right back to work. He had a lot of men working for him in his lab, and he was always willing to listen to the ideas of his loyal employees. These men willingly worked in the same conditions Edison did.
Edison picked key employees; without some of them he might not have as many patents. For instance, William K. L. Dickson invented the Kinetograph, an early version a motion picture. Edison then built upon Dickson's creation and invented the Kinetoscope. Edward Stanton Porter directed the first movie, The Great Train Robbery. Edison also had Frank J. Sprague, a streetcar pioneer, on hand, and Nickola Tesla, an experienced electrical engineer. These men were another reason Edison was so successful in his invention process.
The Edisonian Approach was Edison's way of inventing. Never having been fascinated by math, Edison used this system of trial and error, or hunt and search, rather than theoretical experimentation. But hunt and search was only the last resort for this process. Edison took theories that already existed and made educated guesses on what would become a successful end product. The theories and methods that he bounced off of were usually those of the failed inventors before him. Edison said: "When I want to discover something, I begin by reading up everything that has been done along that line in the past -- that's what all these books in the library are for. I see what has been accomplished at great labor and expense in the past. I gather data of many thousands of experiments as a starting point, and then I make thousands more." When Edison comes up with a completely fresh ideas, there are no theories to go off of. It is then when Edison resorts to hunt and search.
Some earlier inventors were just focusing on improving upon the gas lamp, which is how the idea of the light bulb started. These inventors, however, could not formulate the idea of what a light bulb would look like or how it could work. They had problems developing a filament, as did Edison. Also, they weren't thinking about how the general public could use the light bulb. How would people hook the bulbs up when there were no sockets back then? But Thomas Edison did think of those things. After Thomas Edison figured out the light bulb itself, he wanted it to be easily accessible and affordable to the average person, even those on the poorer side. He even said "We'll make [light bulbs] so cheap, only the rich will burn candles!" When the light bulbs went on the market, Edison did not just sell the bulbs, he sold a whole lighting system, something never thought about before. The set included a generator, cables, metering, etc. This marketing system was not only economically friendly, it allowed people to get rid of their hazardous gas lamps; a competitor of the light bulb.
Edison's obession with perfecting his inventions was so strong, he would usually sleep in his lab for a few hours, then get right back to work. He had a lot of men working for him in his lab, and he was always willing to listen to the ideas of his loyal employees. These men willingly worked in the same conditions Edison did.
Edison picked key employees; without some of them he might not have as many patents. For instance, William K. L. Dickson invented the Kinetograph, an early version a motion picture. Edison then built upon Dickson's creation and invented the Kinetoscope. Edward Stanton Porter directed the first movie, The Great Train Robbery. Edison also had Frank J. Sprague, a streetcar pioneer, on hand, and Nickola Tesla, an experienced electrical engineer. These men were another reason Edison was so successful in his invention process.