Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2023

Check for intellectual property barriers in your way. If you find more than a dozen solutions that loosely match your idea, it may be time to skip that one and try another. Don’t forget to consider customer alternatives, like trains versus airplanes.

Technical Review 267

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Internet 267

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Bypasses intellectual property as not worth the cost. Your chances of success are much greater if you target an under-served niche, or bring a new quantum leap in value over existing competitors. Easier-to-use’ and other fuzzy terms won’t get any attention.

Intellectual Property 312

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 312

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Registered patents and other intellectual property. They seek to establish win-win relationships with all partners, including investors, and treat them all as trusted advisors, rather than win-loss opportunities.

Intellectual Property 278

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 278

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

Your idea is not intellectual property yet, so it has no inherent value. Key to required patents or trade secrets. In many cases, one of the co-founders may bring some work in progress that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. Every previous experience filing and winning a patent is a rare and valuable asset.

Cofounder 435

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Equity Intellectual Property 435

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

A long-term advantage usually also requires intellectual property, such as a patent, trade secret, or trademark. People like to complain about global warming and the plastics pollution problem, but they may not be ready to buy alternative energy at twice the price, or change bad habits for global gain.

Technical Review 391

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 391

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2011

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio.

Intellectual Property 237

Intellectual Property Social Media Non-disclosure Agreement Media 237

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2020

Check for intellectual property barriers in your way. If you find more than a dozen solutions that loosely match your idea, it may be time to skip that one and try another. Don’t forget to consider customer alternatives, like trains versus airplanes.

Technical Review 434

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Internet 434

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Before you bring on partners, develop intellectual property, raise capital, or generate revenues, you need to establish an official business entity. Minimum viable products (MVPs) are recommended for validating the market, with iterative enhancement to quickly meet market feedback.

Intellectual Property 404

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 404

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Intellectual property is required for a competitive edge. Unless you have a proven track record from a prior career, or experience leading teams in some other context, you can expect stumbles and a long learning curve to lead a team.

Intellectual Property 432

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Technical Review Angel Investor 432

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2020

Are any lawsuits and challenges to intellectual property pending? If it’s too early for customers, make sure you understand exactly when the product ships, how detailed is the rollout and promotion plan, and how many times these plans have changed.

Technical Review 436

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 436

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

Recently, Ive seen a lot of discussion about bringing the work back home, since costs have gone up in less-developed countries, there are issues with intellectual property, and time zone and language differences make management difficult. Keep intellectual property keys in-house.

Intellectual Property 238

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Offshore 238

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio.

Intellectual Property 363

Intellectual Property Portfolio Valuation Non-disclosure Agreement 363

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

Consider licensing your product or intellectual property, and “white labeling.” A related or strategically interested company may see the value of your product as complementary to theirs, and be willing to advance funding very early, which can be repaid when you develop your revenue stream later. Commit to a major customer.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2023

Are any lawsuits and challenges to intellectual property pending? If it’s too early for customers, make sure you understand exactly when the product ships, how detailed is the rollout and promotion plan, and how many times these plans have changed.

Sweat Equity 207

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 207

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

Bypasses intellectual property as not worth the cost. Your chances of success are much greater if you target an under-served niche, or bring a new quantum leap in value over existing competitors. Easier-to-use’ and other fuzzy terms won’t get any attention.

Intellectual Property 436

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 436

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

You need intellectual property , such as a patent, trade secret, or process expertise that will be a barrier that you can defend. Calibrate your ability to rise above competitors and copycats. Assess your connections, both social media and financial.

Founder 262

Founder Intellectual Property Social Media Business Plan 262

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2020

Elon Musk, while clearly in the lead with electric autos, recently announced that he is freely offering his battery intellectual property to partners and competitors, in order to expedite the development of the charging support network needed to expand the market.

Entrepreneur 329

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Stealth Angel Investor 329

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2016

For a software startup, a patent can be the intellectual property providing the key competitive advantage, or it can be an expensive non-defensible bureaucratic nightmare -- or both. Copyright intellectual property protection is already given automatically and immediately without the need to register the copyright with a government.

Software Review 120

Software Review Intellectual Property Software Technical Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Registered patents and other intellectual property. They seek to establish win-win relationships with all partners, including investors, and treat them all as trusted advisors, rather than win-loss opportunities.

Intellectual Property 316

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 316

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2012

Intellectual property content. Some country cultures have little appreciation for software as intellectual property. Protect your intellectual property. If the software is ancillary to your mission, proceed through the rest of these considerations. Technology level.

Intellectual Property 222

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Non-Compete Vietnam 222

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Consider licensing your product or intellectual property, and “white labeling.” A related or strategically interested company may see the value of your product as complementary to theirs, and be willing to advance funding very early, which can be repaid when you develop your revenue stream later. Commit to a major customer.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2016

Recently, I’ve seen a lot of discussion about bringing the work back home, since costs have gone up in less-developed countries, there are issues with intellectual property, and time zone and language differences make management difficult. Keep intellectual property keys in-house.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Technical Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2011

Intellectual property content. Some country cultures have little appreciation for software as intellectual property. Protect your intellectual property. If the software is ancillary to your mission, proceed through the rest of these considerations. Technology level.

Intellectual Property 225

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Non-Compete Vietnam 225

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2012

Pre-existing intellectual property. Ideas are not intellectual property, until they have been converted into patents, trade secrets, trademarks, or copyrights. Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold. Expertise can be marketing, technical, financial, or sales.

Intellectual Property 252

Intellectual Property Equity Cofounder CTO Hire 252

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2010

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most people think only of patents. The company name becomes your intellectual property at the moment you incorporate your startup as an LLC or a Corporation. In reality, patents are only one of at least seven items that should be in your IP portfolio.

Intellectual Property 125

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement IP United States 125

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

Consider licensing your product or intellectual property, and “white labeling.” A related or strategically interested company may see the value of your product as complementary to theirs, and be willing to advance funding very early, which can be repaid when you develop your revenue stream later. Commit to a major customer.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Register some intellectual property. Intellectual property is a large element of most early-stage company valuations, and this value determines what percent of the company an investor will expect to get for his money. Without revenue, your investors are largely limited to friends, family and fools.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Sweat Equity CTO Hire 281

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Intellectual Property 278

Intellectual Property Social Media Business Model Employee 278

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Scale your funding requests to the value of your startup today, consisting of assets, contracts, and intellectual property you currently own. Here I recommend a 5-year projection of revenues, expenses, and funding requirements. Major milestones along the way should be outlined.

Business Plan 423

Business Plan Product Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 423

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

Your idea is not intellectual property yet, so it has no inherent value. Key to required patents or trade secrets. In many cases, one of the co-founders may bring some work in progress that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. Every previous experience filing and winning a patent is a rare and valuable asset.

Equity 238

Equity Cofounder Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property 238

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

Intellectual property as barrier to entry. After highlighting your best competitive features and your intellectual property barriers to entry, I encourage you to put on your humble face, and proclaim your determination to never stop improving your products and processes to out-distance competitors.

Intellectual Property 334

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Matching Founder 334

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Unfortunately, I see good startups fail simply because they don’t have the resources or intellectual property to stay ahead of copycats or big players who see the potential as soon as you step into the marketplace. Make sure your solution is defensible and unique.

Intellectual Property 235

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Harvest Technical Review 235

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

Pre-existing intellectual property. Ideas are not intellectual property, until they have been converted into patents, trade secrets, trademarks, or copyrights. Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold. Expertise can be marketing, technical, financial, or sales.

Equity 228

Equity Intellectual Property Cofounder CTO Hire 228

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2019

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio.

IP 234

IP Portfolio Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement 234

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2018

A long-term advantage usually also requires intellectual property, such as a patent, trade secret, or trademark. People like to complain about global warming and the plastics pollution problem, but they may not be ready to buy alternative energy at twice the price, or change bad habits for global gain.

Technical Review 215

Technical Review Intellectual Property Early Stage Global 215

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Intellectual Property 436

Intellectual Property Social Media Business Model Employee 436

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

Register some intellectual property. Intellectual property is a large element of most early-stage company valuations, and this value determines what percent of the company an investor will expect to get for his money. Without revenue, your investors are largely limited to friends, family and fools.

Intellectual Property 260

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity CTO Hire Fractional CTO 260