Machinery Pete is back with an all new episode interviewing inventor and entrepreneur, Ralph Lagergren. Ralph, and his cousin Mark, had a big success with their revolutionary bi-rotor combine which they sold to John Deere in the 1990s. Ralph took time to discuss the journey of getting new ideas and products out to the world and offers tips and advice for aspiring inventors.
Show Notes
Machinery Pete is back with an all new episode interviewing Ralph Lagergren, inventor and entrepreneur. Back in the 1990s, Ralph and his cousin struck gold when they invented the bi-rotor combine and sold the patents to John Deere. Their work inspired countless inventors and a bestselling book, Dream Reaper.
Ralph has decades of experience bringing new products to market and shares his tips and advice for any aspiring inventors who want to get their ideas out into the world. Listen in as Ralph discusses the process that made the Dream Reaper a success and the biggest obstacles that inventors and entrepreneurs face.
Show Index:
- [2:41] - Ralph discusses how he got working on the Bi-rotor combine.
- [9:15] - How Ralphe came into contact with Craig Canine, who wrote the book Dream Reaper about the bi-rotor combine.
- [10:38] - The first time Ralph was recognized by a stranger for his combine.
- [12:54] - Why Ralph has no hard feelings toward John Deere and what’s next for the bi-rotor combine.
- [15:29] - Working with Ethan Eck, a young inventor from Kansas, and how the two got started.
- [19:25] - Ethan Eck is a talented young inventor with great ideas and engineering skill. Ralph talks about what Ethan is up to.
- [21:21] - The role of luck in inventing & Ralphs new venture.
- [24:49] - Focusing inventions on cutting down production time.
- [28:42] - Ralph’s talent for seeing the big picture and getting the right people for each new invention.
- [32:42] - How inventors can be successful.
- [36:38] - Why it’s important for inventors to discuss their work and collaborate.
- [39:20] - The biggest obstacles to making it as an inventor.
- [42:40] - Ralph’s passion project is a game that he’s been working on taking to market.
- [47:24] - Even though his inventions span different industries, Ralph talks about the common threads.
- [49:42] - Ralph is a world traveler and talks about his favorite places in the US.
- [54:57] - How the Dream Reaper book is still inspiring inventors.
Ralph Lagergren is an entrepreneur and new product developer who has worked on projects across various industries. With his cousin Mark Underwood, Ralph developed the revolutionary bi-rotor combine which was sold to John Deere and inspired the bestselling book, Dream Reaper: The Story of an Old-Fashioned Inventor in the High-Tech, High-Stakes World of Modern Agriculture. Ralph is currently involved with Chem Blade and is developing a brand new game called Rage Ball 5.
Machinery Pete was founded in 1989 and has grown from its humble beginnings to a full-fledged marketplace for farming equipment. Greg Peterson, founder and host, has also released Machinery Pete content across platforms including YouTube with his long-running Machinery Pete TV show.
What is Machinery Pete Podcast?
Welcome to the Machinery Pete Podcast hosted by Greg Peterson, known to the industry as Machinery Pete. For over 30 years, Greg has been a trusted source of knowledge in the farming equipment industry. Starting with a gut feeling, Greg set off to bring more and better data to the agriculture space. He’s been a voice you can trust, no matter where you’re listening or reading.
In this podcast, Greg will be sharing stories and conversations from around the industry. The kinds of conversations that are longer and more meaningful than just a few soundbites. He’ll be adding context and color to stories from good people that make up the agriculture space. He’ll also be sharing the types of insights, trends, farming news and used farm equipment values from around the country that you’ve come to expect from him.
Founded in 1989 by Greg Peterson, Machinery Pete has come a long way since its beginnings in Greg Peterson’s home office in Rochester, Minnesota where he passionately researched, tracked and reported on auction prices. In 2014 Farm Journal and Machinery Pete partnered to provide a more efficient marketplace for buying and selling used ag equipment.
In July of 2015, MachineryPete.com launched its marketplace with leading-edge marketing solutions for dealers, informed and built with the online equipment shopper in mind and creates meaningful connections between buyers and sellers. The company is headquartered in Chicago, IL.
You can find out more at https://www.machinerypete.com/podcasts