+1.970.776.4355 · Loveland, CO · Russ Krajec, principal Currently accepting Fractional Chief IP Officer engagements →

  • Provisional Patent Applications Hurt Startups

    The patent bar does a terrible job of serving smaller clients – and provisional patent[1] applications are a glaring example.

  • Do Startups Give Up On Their Patents?

    Patent valuation[1][2] can be inferred from how much effort an applicant puts into their patent.  One of the common criteria for the more sophisticated patent scoring algorithms is the number of continuation applications.

  • Invention Mistakes Made at the “Idea Stage”

    Patents at the idea stage represent a huge risk because there just is not any data to support an investment in a patent.

  • The S-Curve, Innovation, and Intellectual Property

    Every technology grows on an “S-curve.”  The S-curve cycle is where an idea is born, then it struggles to get product-market fit through infancy.  Once it begins to get traction, there is a period of growth, after which the technology levels out and eventually declines.

  • 2020 Has Been The Best Year

    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 things were improved.

  • I Do Not Want a Patent I Do Not Deserve

    It is really tempting to think that you can get an enormously valuable patent.  Then you can dominate some big market and get paid handsomely.

  • 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” startup who is willing to do the hard work.

  • Using Patents as Blackmail

    My company finances patents for small to medium sized companies, so I often get inquires from people who want to build out a patent portfolio.  A while ago, I received a call from an inventor who wanted to file a bunch of patent applications, then sell them back his former employer. 

  • Startup Fundraising – Pluses and Minuses

    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 IP-centric businesses where patents are a core asset, and that implies that the entrepreneur is creative, innovative, and tries new things.

  • 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 technology improvements.