What do I do when I have an invention but no money?

Dude I think you came to the wrong place, but wutevs...

Patents: dont fucking get one unless you found the cure for cancer or something. These costs at least $20K and if you're idea is as simple as you say it wont keep others from stealing your idea, since as long as they have the money they can keep fighting you in court while reaping the profits.

VCs: these ones are tricky, even thought venture funds have been clasified as toxic they still get the money, showing there are some untapped mutual funds out there that are still run by complete retards. To get any attention from them you need a contact, which is akin to having a rich friend who could fund your idea.

Loans: you'll ruin your life if it doesnt works, so better be 100% sure.

Bootstrapping: if you can leave college/work for a while and have somebody to support you it might work. It all depends on what market and what kind of product you have.

Thats all, PM me if you need more.

And there goes my million-dollar idea ....

 

If you want to do it on the 'cheap' but with a fair deal of risk and time / effort, you should get proof of date of concept to at least allow the possibility of proving the idea is yours should it ever take off and some corp tries to give you the A shaft. Easiest way is to Special Delivery copies of the design, notes etc to yourself. Royal Mail date stamps etc are good for UK courts last I checked. Then you have to spend a bit getting a prototype made. There are plenty of prototype companies that can do this if you can't, but if it's a simple idea as you say perhaps you can. Then hawk that damn shit left right and fucking centre. Bombard, blag, gatecrash, cold call, be a nuisance. Maybe you get lucky!

 

I agree with Wheelaa that the first thing you need to do is document everything. Get it dated and notarized so there is no doubt when you came up with the idea.

 

That or going to a founder faire or similar gathering, since that way you get to make contacts, promote your idea and by showing it making it clear that you were the one behind it.

 

It has to be really unique and you have to patent it to get very far with the idea. Your dad is right - it costs money to get an idea off the ground. Unless you partnered with a university perhaps and were willing to share the patent with them.