The Problems of InventorsMany of the modern world’s most famous discoveries and inventions were not made by scientists, but by amateur inventors. Often, these investors had such unusual ideas that they were laughed at. But people like these, working on their own, gave us many of the things we use every day.Clarence “Bob” Birdseye, who invented frozen foods, was both a successful inventor and a good businessman. But it took him years to overcome the biggest problem of successful inventions-convincing people to try something new and different. Birdseye first tried to freeze fish. But the company soon went bankrupt. Even though the process worked, people didn’t believe that frozen fish could possibly be good. It took a long time, but people finally accepted frozen food. By the end of his life, Birdseye, who was completely self-taught inventor, had 100 patents that he sold for a total of 22 million dollars.Few inventors were as successful as Birdseye. Some, like the original owners of Coca-Cola, didn’t realize the potential of their discoveries. The son of the inventor of Coca-Cola sold the recipe for $2,300. Today the product is worth billions of dollars. In 1853, Karl Gerhardt invented aspirin, but he didn’t know what to do with it. Fifty years after his invention, a German company discovered that it was a painkiller and has since made millions selling it. Edwin Armstrong invented FM radio, but he spent his whole life trying to protect his invention. Competitors stole his patents, and companies cheated him a lot of money. Finally, he became so frustrated with his failures that he ended his life by jumping out of a window.Most great inventors, like Gerhardt and Armstrong, made little or nothing from their inventions. The first person with a new idea may get attention, but he also gets the problem of an untried idea. In business, it is sometimes better to be second.Who invented frozen foods?