Alan Adler
San Francisco, CA USA
"We live in an age of available resources for anybody who wants to pursue a subject."
Career Roadmap
Alan's work combines: Engineering, Science, and Building Things
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
If you're interested in becoming an inventor or engineer, it's important to learn all that you can learn about the science associated with whatever it is you're trying to invent. For me, that was aerodynamics. For another inventor, it might be something else.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Mechanical Engineer & Inventor:
Bachelor's Degree: Physics, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I was born in Detroit, Michigan, and moved with my family to Los Angeles, California, when I was six years old.
2.
I loved building things and doing science experiments as a kid, so I naturally gravitated towards electronic engineering as I got older.
3.
After high school, I started working in the electronics industry.
4.
In addition to science, electronics, and engineering, I had also always been passionate about sailing, which led to me studying aerodynamics as a hobby.
5.
I decided to use what I learned about aerodynamics to make aerodynamic toys.
6.
I designed a Frisbee-like flying ring and licensed it to Parker Brothers—they sold over a million units and then gave the rights back to me.
7.
In attempt to improve the design so the ring would fly straighter, I created Aerobie and then built a company around it; the Aerobie later set a Guinness World Record for farthest thrown object!
8.
About a year after we started selling the Aerobie flying ring, I left my job in electronics to devote my time to the company.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
We won't sell a product from an unknown company.
How I responded:
After creating Aerobie, I tried to find freelance sales representatives. It was incredibly difficult. No one wanted to carry a toy from an unknown company. I got rejected many times but I just kept at it. I eventually got Aerobie on a couple of TV broadcasts, which I was able to play at the New York Toy Fair. By the end of the fair, I had gained sales reps across half of the country!