Ever heard about a startup with too much money? Me neither. Living from round to round, handling monstrous bills from landlord and suppliers, engaging with always-looking-for-a-raise employees, the clock never stops ticking.
But no startup was ever founded just to pay the bills. We are here to go the extra mile, to optimize, to perfect, to solve a problem never solved before. And sometimes, sometimes, we succeed. We know something valuable no one else has ever known. Now what?
One line of thought would be “we should tell the whole world, we have invested so much money in R&D to get to this point, it would be a shame if our competitors do the same”. Another line of thought would be “we should keep quiet, we have invested so much money in R&D to get to this point, it would be a shame if our competitors copy us for free”.
However, just last month, one of my clients taught me a valuable lesson with a third line of thought. After I offered a list of IP steps to implement in the next months, together with their considerable related expenses, my client just asked – “What can I get for a 1000?”
You see, IP protection is not binary, no protection for free or full protection for 5 or 6 figures. Whatever your IP budget is, put it to use, and improve protection for your innovations.
TL;DR: Why startups should stop seeing IP as all-or-nothing
- Startups are always short on cash, but Intellectual property protection isn’t a binary choice.
- Even a small budget can be leveraged to get meaningful protection on your intellectual property.
- The right IP advisor can help you prioritize and stretch your budget for maximum impact.
If you are a founder, or an investor, and want to maximize the impact of your IP budget, let’s talk. I will get you the most bang for your buck.
