Why a brilliant idea sometimes has to wait for years

A brilliant idea doesn't necessarily guarantee success. Just ask the inventor of the saxophone.

Around 1840, the Belgian Adolphe Sax developed a completely new musical instrument. It combined characteristics of woodwind and brass instruments and produced a sound that was unlike anything else at the time. Sax believed so strongly in his invention that he filed several patents to protect his design. Technically, it was well-engineered. Legally, he had his affairs in excellent order.

Yet it didn’t take off right away.

Marco Coolen, photo © Bart van Overbeeke

That wasn’t because of the instrument itself. The problem lay elsewhere. The establishment saw the saxophone primarily as a threat. Competitors feared for their positions and pressured composers, conductors, and orchestras not to use the new instrument. The result was remarkable: an invention that worked perfectly but was barely given a chance to shine.

You see this pattern often in the history of innovation. New technology is by no means always judged on its merits alone. As soon as existing interests are threatened, resistance arises. People who invest in the current way of working often have little reason to get excited about an alternative. You can build something that’s faster, smarter, or more efficient than anything that already exists. But if no one uses it, revenue won’t materialize. Then it doesn’t matter much how good the technology actually is.

That’s an important lesson for entrepreneurs. A lot of attention goes into product development. That makes sense, because without a good product, you won’t get anywhere. But just as important is the question of how an innovation finds its way to the market. Who benefits from it? Who has to change their behavior? And who might actually have a vested interest in keeping things exactly as they are?

In the case of the saxophone, that breakthrough eventually came after all. Not in the concert halls Adolphe Sax had initially hoped for, but in military bands. There, the instrument proved to offer exactly what was needed: power, volume, and reliability during outdoor performances. From that niche, acceptance began to grow slowly.

It wasn’t until later that jazz musicians discovered the instrument’s potential. They ultimately turned the saxophone into an icon—not because a patent forced it upon them, but because musicians and listeners began to appreciate its unique qualities. What was once seen as a threat to the established order grew into one of the most recognizable instruments in the world.

That may well be the most important lesson. A patent can protect an invention, but it doesn’t create a market. Protection gives you time and space—nothing more. Ultimately, customers, users, and the environment determine whether an innovation will truly succeed.

Some ideas catch on immediately. Others need more time. Sometimes a new application must first be found. Sometimes a generation of users has to get used to it. And sometimes it just takes a while before the world hears how beautiful the sound actually is.

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The World of Patents

With the help of Dutch and European patent attorney Marco Coolen (AOMB), we can better understand the world of patents. How do they work, why are they important, and when do they lose their usefulness?

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