Efficiency is the Magic of Successful Inventions

A few days ago I was speaking with our lead inventor Joel Marks (my brother) about finding great invention ideas and said, "All successful inventions have a bit of magic, how do we identify that?" Joel replied, "Magic comes from increased efficiency."

Joel speaks with the precision of an engineer because he is one. When he uses the word efficiency he means this:

ef·fi·cien·cy
əˈfiSHənsē/
noun
technical

the ratio of the useful work performed by a machine or in a process to the total energy expended or heat taken in.

I tried to come up with examples where there is magic without improved efficiency, even reaching into Harry Potter, but ultimately I had to concede the point. It's profound because it's so precise. If you consider any successful invention, the root of its success, the basis of its magic, comes from improved efficiency. You can take that bank. Efficiently.

- Mike