Patent Strategy

For an innovator, being named as an inventor on a patent is the crowning achievement of a career. Being named an inventor says that the person has contributed something to humanity that has never existed, and that accomplishment is memorialized forever in the patent database. Being an inventor is huge. But what happens when the…

Contempt That Destroys Investor–Entrepreneur Relationships Contempt is one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Once it shows up, it is the end of a relationship. Contempt doesn’t look like shouting. It is mostly passive aggressive. It masquerades as “patience” that overlays growing frustration. In a previous post, we talked about how an entrepreneur can…

AI chat tools have two problems: over-simplification and hallucination. These two problems mimic inventor’s biases when doing patent searches, leading to bad results. Inventors and entrepreneurs might love the idea of using an AI‑powered search tool to check “Did I do something new?” fast and cheap. It sounds smart. It sounds responsible. I am a…

Are you getting a list of options or a strategy that aligns with your business? Is that “strategy” more tailored to the Law Firm’s billing or your success? Most inventors think that hiring a patent attorney means they’re protected. That’s a mistake. Patent attorneys are trained to give you every possible option. Want a provisional?…

Entrepreneurs are stuck between two polar opposites. On one hand, they are encouraged – endlessly – to hype, hype, hype. The accelerators and incubators want to see astronomical projections, Total Addressable Markets in the trillions, and hockey stick growth. Entrepreneurs need to attract attention, and the more they hype and over promise, the more attention…

The Easiest Way to Spot an Entrepreneur with Imposter Syndrome: They Don’t Have Revenue Some founders will drone on and on telling you how “innovative” they are. They highlight their patents, their clever ideas, their alma mater from decades ago. But without customers and cash flow, that’s just posturing. Real innovation is not what you…

Short version: For most AI companies, patents on “using AI for X” don’t protect you. They backfire by revealing your method while remaining practically unenforceable. The competitive advantage is in your data, processes, distribution, and customers—so protect those and build your business around the reality that competitors can do something similar. The uncomfortable truth about…

Strategic Partnerships are a polite way of saying “we don’t own the most important parts of our business.” Every founder loves to brag about their “strategic partnerships.” The name sounds impressive, but hides a glaring truth: We don’t own the most important parts of our business. Strategic partnerships are not a strategy. They are liabilities.…

Building a company that can be sold is building a different product for a different customer. Serving two masters – but they are compatible. The first master is the customer who buys your product, and the second master is the one who buys your company. Most entrepreneurs lose sight of the fact that the acquiring…

Nobody cares about your technology. Entrepreneurs love to talk about their technology. Endlessly. Ad nauseam. And when it’s time to raise money or sell the company, they make the same mistake: they lead with the tech. But here’s the truth: nobody buys technology. Not your customer. Not your acquirer. Not your investor. They buy a…