You have a vision. There is a pesky problem in your field that just would not go away, but you? you have a vision. Well, then what? What are the chances you are the second coming of Einstein?
You call a friend, or a friend of a friend, just for a sanity check. Am I crazy, or that just might work? The friend thinks it’s feasible. It won’t be easy, but s/he doesn’t see why not. Well, then what? Ideas are a dime a dozen, will it work in the real world?
You go on-line, you know, just checking, it won’t hurt to check, and it’s free, are all the pieces of the puzzle there? Are there some pieces still missing? If I combine A and B is it reasonable to expect C? Great, it’s all there. On paper (and on several excel files you spent hours on), your solution is even profitable. Well, then what?
If you were born into money, that’s the time to have that talk with your parents. If you haven’t been so lucky, you start talking with Angels. No, not in the Ayahuasca sense, in the Zoom sense. Well, then what?
Turns out the Angels already met many of your kind. Yes, they know about the pesky problem, and yes, they agree that your solution may work, and yes, they agree that there may be enough profit in it to go around. It’s just, that this isn’t their first rodeo. These infidels want to see real-world numbers, CAPEX, OPEX, COGS, you know the rest.
The best Angels (“Ophanim” and up) would also want to see another real-world metric: assuming they give you their money, and you turn their money into R&D, and the R&D turns their money to new know-how, and the new know-how turns their money into a new chance of profit, how do intend to turn the new chance of profit back into actual profit?
There is only one answer to this question. It is called an IP Strategy, tailored to give you the technology exclusivity advantage, which will give your Angels their coveted ROI. All other answers mean your Angels are sponsoring the common good. There is not much ROI in that.
Conclusion: How Your Know-How Drives Angel Profit
- Angels don’t just invest in vision—they ask how new know-how will generate exclusivity and ROI.
- Without a clear answer, they see you as a sponsor of the common good, not a business.
- An IP strategy is the only way to show how their money becomes protected profit.
If you are a founder and want to be prepared to the top-tier Angle metric, check out my IP solutions and let’s talk. I will show you the way.
If you are a top-tier Angle and want to be prepared to evaluate the quality of the IP Strategy presented to you, check out what I can do for you – and let’s talk. All that glitters is not gold.
An IP strategy is the bridge between invention and market exclusivity.
