Exactly 5,126 attempts to make the first bagless vacuum cleaner were failures-some catastrophic disappointments, some minor defects. It took 15 years. Prototype 5,127 was the success ... Failure is painful, but it spurs on improvement like nothing else.

Cordless vacuums are designed for quick jobs, but you need enough power to do the job; you don't want the power waning over time.

[In my home workshop,] generally I'm mending things, which is interesting because you learn a lot about why they broke.

Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. It's coming up with ideas, testing principles and perfecting the engineering, as well as final assembly.

Stumbling upon the next great invention in an 'ah-ha!' moment is a myth.

Reality TV is anything but.

After the idea, there is plenty of time to learn the technology