When a startup begins running short of money, the natural response is usually to look for more money. Founders start thinking about another funding round, investors want to know what additional capital will accomplish, and…
A recent article by Mathias Klenk, Why Startups Die, makes an important point about startup failure. Companies rarely die because of one dramatic event. More often, failure is the result of problems that have been…
At some point, growth begins pointing beyond your home market. You receive an inquiry from another country, a potential partner mentions international demand, or someone asks whether your technology could work outside the United…
One of the first questions inventors, entrepreneurs, and startup founders ask is, “How do I know if my idea has commercial potential?” It’s a fair question, but after more than three decades of helping organizations…
When most people think about intellectual property, they immediately think about patents. If you don’t have one, it’s easy to assume you don’t really have much intellectual property to commercialize. After all, patents receive most…
When entrepreneurs think about growing a startup, the sequence usually feels automatic. Develop the product. Raise capital. Build a team. Launch into the market. Scale as quickly as possible. That progression has become so deeply…
If you’ve developed an invention, a product idea, or even a patented technology, one of the first questions that usually comes up is: How do I license this to a company and actually get…
Positioning, Structuring, and Licensing Your Innovation While It’s Still in Development You don’t need a finished product to start licensing. Let that sink in. Because too many innovators wait until their invention is fully built,…
How to Protect Your IP (and Your Sanity) Licensing deals can be exciting, but not every opportunity is worth pursuing. Sometimes, the smartest move you can make is to walk away. It’s not easy —…
How to Spot Trouble Before You Waste Time (or Sign a Bad Deal) Even when a company looks good on paper, not every licensing conversation leads to a good deal. Some opportunities just aren’t what…