Tag: Entrepreneurs
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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…
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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…
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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”…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Inhouse vs Outside Patent Counsel
There are Two Types of Lawyers There are two types of patent lawyers: outside counsel and inhouse counsel. Each type of lawyer plays a completely different role, and the two types are at a constant…
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The Light Bulb is the Worst Symbol of Invention
Invention is the heavy lifting of 1000’s of failed experiments, not a grand vision that pops into someone’s head. The light bulb is the universal symbol of “invention.” It is the worst – and best…
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Why Marketing Is More Important than Patents
Entrepreneurs have been fed this lie that the first thing they need to do is get a patent, then work on the business. This is a bad strategy. Marketing is more important than patents As…