My father was chief engineer over 150 engineers and draftsmen for 40 years. He got dozens of gun patents and pounded on desk tops and yelled at engineers.
His better mouse trap story was about an engineer he worked with that had patented a trap that killed the mouse, sprayed it with disinfectant, sealed it in plastic, and notified the owner with a radio signal that bounces off a meteor trail. The guy did not quit his day job, but was obsessed with his invention.
My father's job was to yell at engineers that try to design a "better mouse trap". But what you do on your own time is your own business.
