Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

Last month we covered the basics of intellectual property (IP) for startups, including a simple taxonomy, some common issues and related documents for entrepreneurs to use when forming a new startup. I’m proud to contribute to the effort and always enjoy reading what the other authors have to say.

Intellectual Property 143

Intellectual Property IP Startup United States 143

Gust

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

For no good reason, this process seems shrouded in mystery, when in fact it is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. Finally, they need to validate intellectual property protections and status. This is the dreaded “due diligence” process.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Private Equity 152

Gust

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

Intellectual Property. Many online business models would be eviscerated by laws like SOPA that seek to essentially deputize private companies as agents of content owners and law enforcement agencies, coerced into policing their own users (customers) at great cost in both dollars and resources.

Silicon Valley 187

Silicon Valley San Francisco Intellectual Property Accredited Investor 187

Gust

NOVEMBER 3, 2013

The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business. Business model doesn’t make money. No intellectual property. Intellectual property is also often the largest element of early-stage company valuations for professional investors.

Intellectual Property 183

Intellectual Property Startup Viral Early Stage 183

Gust

DECEMBER 16, 2012

Define some intellectual property. File a patent and trademarks to show real intellectual property. This is called “validating the business model.”. Investors routinely go to candidate web sites to get a feel for the tone and scope of the company, as well as its maturity and offerings.

Angel Investor 179

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 179

Gust

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

But from my perspective in really helping entrepreneurs, both fall short on several counts: Focus too much on the product, not enough on the business model. The key success factors of the business model (how a business survives and grows), management expertise, and financial projections will likely get overlooked.

Non-disclosure Agreement 160

Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Equity 160

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

Do describe your intellectual property and “secret sauce”. Explain the business model. Many people seem to use the social network advertising model for revenue, but forget it assumes at least 100M users and $50M investment. Skip the technical jargon and hyperbole. Focus is the keyword here.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182