Tag: Entrepreneurs
-
Waiting Room Inventors
“Moonshots” and Abdicating Responsibility as an Angel Investor. A friend who is an angel investor asked my opinion on a company. I did not like it for a number of reasons, not the least of…
-
Technology is always about firing someone.
The value proposition of “technology” is usually that an employer can fire someone. It is always about doing more work with fewer people. This typically has a short term advantage for a business owner, but…
-
Printing Money and the Shiny New Toy
What drives the entrepreneur may be more complicated than what it seems… For many entrepreneurs, getting to revenue is not “success”, it can be a let down. I see this pattern over and over: an…
-
You are not a tech entrepreneur.
Real entrepreneurs focus on the solutions they deliver, not the mechanism. There are countless industries where technology can improve things. Most of these industries are bland, run-of-the-mill industries that deliver services. It may be plumbing,…
-
This product is great…for someone else.
The kiss of death. Entrepreneurs are constantly testing out their messaging. They are constantly pitching to their family and friends, and they are always prepared to pitch to investors. An entrepreneur’s pitch usually starts out…
-
The Problems with Your Patent Attorney Owning Stock in Your Company
The Ethical Quandary Patent attorneys are entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding their clients’ intellectual property. This fiduciary duty requires them to act in the best interest of their clients, providing unbiased and objective legal…
-
Do You Like My Invention?
Inventors often ask for my feedback on their inventions, but the only thing I ask about is revenue. As an investor who focuses on IP, I get asked for feedback on inventions and patents. I…
-
Avoid Wishful Thinking Patents
I just want “protection,” but I have a run-of-the-mill product. Most startup CEOs want patents because they want ‘protection,’ so they go to a patent attorney. And the patent attorney is in the unfortunate situation…
-
Risks of Investing in Government-Sponsored Research
“March-in” rights under 37 CFR 401.6 allow the government to re-possess a patent using a very arbitrary process. One reason NOT to invest in startups based on government-sponsored research, including patents from universities. Inventors can…
-
Showing Up – The Simplest Thing
Being a good steward of capital is the only metric that matters. As an early stage investor, I have only one meaningful metric: a good steward of capital. We do lots of due diligence, dig…