Chad Sorenson likes to solve problems.

He also knows that solving problems is at the heart of creating - and nurturing - a small business.

At age 33, Sorenson, a Blaine, Minn., native, knows a thing or two about starting a business. He has helped create two of them.

The first, Fluent Systems, developed a wireless, remote system for farmers to monitor how much anhydrous ammonia is in the fertilizer tank riding behind their tractor. The invention won Sorenson top honors - $10,000 - in the UW-Madison's Schoofs Prize for Creativity in 2000 and $2,500 for placing first in the Tong Prototype Prize in 2001. He also came in second in the G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition in 2001, winning $7,000.

Then he won an even bigger derby. Fluent Systems was sold in 2003 to Raven Industries, a publicly traded, South Dakota company, for $1.5 million, just 18 months after Sorenson earned his master's degree in business administration at UW-Madison.

Sorenson's second company, Sologear, is manufacturing the FlameDisk, a solid ethanol alternative to charcoal, at 8830 N. Greenview, Middleton, and is about to come out with a new product: a portable, reusable grill that uses the FlameDisk and comes with its own nylon carrying case. Sorenson got the idea for the FlameDisk in 2006 while he and a partner were working on a new concept for a disposable grill.

Now Sorenson is passing on his knowledge to a new crop of potential entrepreneurs. He is teaching a seminar at the UW-Madison College of Engineering on innovation and entrepreneurship, as part of the school's Innovation Days.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Fluent Systems, your first business?

A: My cousin farms in Nevada, Iowa. When he put fertilizer on the field, he was seated in the cab of his tractor and couldn't tell how much fluid was in the metal tank of anhydrous ammonia hooked behind him. He had to stop the tractor, get out, stand on a tire and look at a little gauge on top of the tank, sometimes in cold, cold weather. My cousin made me aware of this when I was a senior in mechanical engineering at the UW. So I was looking for a way to take what I was learning and apply it. I also had an internship at Design Concepts at the time and Dave Franchino, president, had a background in wireless controllers.

It's a myth that I came up with all of this by myself. A lot of innovation comes through interaction with other people. You can't wait for an idea to come to you in the shower.

Q: How helpful was it to win the student competitions at UW-Madison?

A: The Schoofs Prize was really my starting point. I had put together a crude prototype and somebody thought it was a good idea. But almost more important than the recognition or the money was realizing the work was still there. You accidentally find yourself a little closer to market.

Dreaming up an idea and going through all the steps to get it to market is a huge, long process, and most people will give up before they even start and say, "That's not for me."

The competitions are a shorter-term goal. All you need is a presentation and a prototype. That's something the average smart person can get their head around.

Q: How did you come to teach a course on innovation?

A: I have done some guest lecturing and was one of the judges for the Schoofs competition for the last four years. (College of Engineering) Dean Paul Peercy asked if I was interested in getting more involved with the Schoofs. So I suggested a fall seminar series that would keep students engaged in a project (for the contest) and also give them the tools they need.

It is an 11-week series that started Oct. 1. The first week gave them the 30,000-foot view on turning an idea into reality, to inspire them. The second week was about: where does innovation come from? It comes from finding the most frustrating problem and then solving it. Really, invention starts with your observation skills.

We are also talking about how to come up with creative solutions. The best way is to start off with a lot of ideas. Then the question is: what filters do you put in place to choose the best ideas? People get emotionally attached to an idea but often, they don't think about it critically.

We will deal with issues from raising capital to writing a business plan. There's no charge, no credit and no homework, and people can attend without signing up.

Q: What is the biggest mistake students can make?

A: Not thinking outside your classes. A very large part of the value of my education was everything I did outside the classroom for which there was no grade.

One of the most important things I learned was: create a quick-and-dirty prototype and get in front of the people you are going to sell your product to. When I was working on the fertilizer monitoring system, I talked to three farmers, a fertilizer dealer and an equipment distributor. They gave me so much information.

When people call me for advice, I can tell immediately if they are going to make it or not. If they won't say much about their idea, they probably won't be successful.

It's smart to talk about your idea. The odds of you developing a product that's not relevant to the consumer market are 10 times greater than the odds of somebody stealing your idea. I wouldn't broadcast it on the Internet, though; find people you trust.

CHAD SORENSON

President of Sologear

Company address: 8830 N. Greenview Drive, Middleton

Web site: www.flamedisk.com

Company founders/owners: Chad Sorenson, Tom Bush, Mark Schweiger, Dave Franchino (also president of Design Concepts, Madison)

Employees: 9 full-time plus 5-10 temporary

Innovation course: Sorenson is teaching a course at the UW-Madison College of Engineering on innovation and becoming an entrepreneur. Classes are Thursday, at 5:30 p.m., through Dec. 17, in room 1610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive. Registration is not necessary, and there is no fee.

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