In the live production world, there was a product called “spider pod”. It is a riser for a camera tripod to get the camera up higher. It came with a step for the camera operator. A metal worker who used to work in television made it, patented it, and ran the entire business out of his shed. It became a staple in the television industry. After his last kid graduated college, he retired. You can now only get them used and nothing has replaced them on the market.