What do dreams, jewels, and cardboard helicopters have in common? They all helped build one of the smartest tools in your garage.

In this episode of the Bold Inventor Show, hosts JD Houvener and Matt Kulseth dive deep into the story behind the iLevel, a groundbreaking smart level invented by Andrew Varner — who literally dreamed it into existence.

With the help of Cleveland-based engineering genius Jason Coher, and the design wizards at Cardboard Helicopter, Andrew went from napkin sketch to a licensed product with Franklin Sensors, one of the top names in tool innovation. But it wasn’t easy.

🎧 You’ll hear the real inventor’s journey:

• How Andrew prototyped the first unit in his garage with a 3D printer and Arduino (spoiler: it worked).
• Why a sapphire gem inside the level solved an ancient problem of tilt detection.
• How Cardboard Helicopter transformed raw hardware into retail gold with stunning 3D visualizations.
• The ins and outs of a global patent and trademark strategy — including PCT filings and EU/AU expansion.
• The bold negotiation that landed a licensing deal with royalties and minimum guarantees, even before the patent issued.

Oh, and did we mention his IP was invented during REM sleep? That’s right. The I-Level — a spirit level that glows green when you’re level and red when you’re not — came to Andrew in a dream.

If you’re an inventor, hardware startup, or product designer, this episode is a masterclass in licensing, product-market fit, and not taking no for an answer.

✨Key Takeaways:

• 🧠 “I literally dreamed it” — the I-Level concept came straight from Andrew's subconscious.
• 💡 Fail forward: Prototyping with 3D printing + Arduino helped test before filing full patents.
• 🧲 Real-world engineering: the device uses sapphire bearings to solve for tilt and LED signaling.
• ✍️ Licensing done right: includes royalty structure, anti-shelving clause & global distribution.
• 🚀 “Don’t be afraid of ‘no’”: Persistence (and follow-up emails) made the Franklin Sensors deal real.
• 📈 Now selling 3,000+ units/month on Amazon with 5-star reviews — and growing.

🔥Teasers to Watch:

• How a CNC’d jewel-bearing mechanism mimics Swiss watches to detect perfect level.
• The one thing Andrew wishes more inventors knew about filing too early. 📜
• How Cardboard Helicopter turned rough ideas into a visual pitch that closed the deal. 💼
• Why Franklin’s “No” turned into a “Yes” (and how you can make that happen too).
• The legal clause that protects your IP even when they delay launching. ⏳

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DISCLAIMER
Everything discussed on this podcast is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.