Edison wanted to
control the manufacturing stage and use the resources his
laboratory continually reduce the cost manufacture. claimed that the money made was from
manufacturing the invention and not selling the patent. This plan of
innovation led Edison into the role entrepreneur and factory
. Edison's
worldview the inventor was often the victim the innovative
process. ^
Edison therefore formulated grand strategy for his lab,
envisaging large industrial undertaking that would
manufacture the many new products devised the laboratory:
My ambition build great industrial works
in the Orange Valley starting small way and
gradually working up— The Laboratory supplying the
perfected invention models pattern and fitting up
necessary special machinery the factory for each
invention. ^
His conception the process innovation, or
"pioneering" called it, did not end the laboratory. The
idea was innovate all stages production until the goal
of low cost mass production was reached. It
was not enough develop new products. knew from experience
that there was little money selling patent rights; the
profits went the financier and manufacturer.II- 1
CHAPTER TWO
FINANCING GRAND STRATEGY
It was not Edison the inventor who built the West Orange
laboratory, but Edison the capitalist
