Blog
-
2020 Has Been The Best Year
Retrospective On 2020 I am sad to see 2020 go. It has been a monumental year in many ways. Lots of things were shaken very hard, and many things broke under the stress, but many…
-
I Do Not Want a Patent I Do Not Deserve
I do not want an entrepreneur to bet the farm on a patent that has no value. It is really tempting to think that you can get an enormously valuable patent. Then you can dominate…
-
Betting on the Home Run
Angel investing requires analyzing the ability of the entrepreneur to make their business happen. Entrepreneurs who bet everything on a single home run are very poor investments. It is much better to find the “grinder”…
-
Using Patents as Blackmail
A case study on why you need the right inventors agreements for a startup: a former employee turns patent troll. My company finances patents for small to medium sized companies, so I often get inquires…
-
Startup Fundraising – Pluses and Minuses
From bootstrapping to venture funds, there are many different avenues. Fundraising for a startup company often takes more skill, talent, and innovation than creating the product or service you want to deliver. I deal with…
-
Types of Patents
What are the different types of patents? Patents have been the bedrock of innovation, powering the innovations of our early republic, through the Industrial Revolution and patents continue to play a big role in today’s…
-
Hacking the business plan for startup funding
Want to start your own side-hustle business? Thinking about launching a new product line in your corporation? Both projects have the same steps. Get a basic business plan together Years ago, it was popular to…
-
How long do patents last?
Updated 19 July 2021. How long do US patents last? Different types of patents have different lifespans. All of the answers below are for United States (US) patents. When most people think of patents, they…
-
Pre-seed Funding: You Can Do A Lot Of The Work Upfront
Start with marketing – not product design. Thinking about pre-seed funding? Getting your company off the ground is a challenging task, but far too many entrepreneurs want to run before they even crawl. It is…
-
I’m A Recovering Patent Attorney
What is Really Wrong with the Patent System I am a “recovering patent attorney.” I became a patent attorney after years as an engineer. I went to a patent attorney and I expected my patent…