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…
For many inventors and IP owners, building a working prototype feels like crossing a major finish line. You started with an idea, worked through the design problems, invested time and money, and perhaps filed a…
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…
One of the first questions you are likely to ask when you begin considering licensing is, “How long will it take to get a deal?” It is a reasonable question. You may picture contacting a…
When patents matter, when they don’t, and what companies really care about One of the most common questions I hear from innovators is whether licensing is even possible without a patent. A lot of people…
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…
Series: Inside the Accelerator | Article 10 of 11 Stage 3 — Week 8 This is the second to last article in the Inside the Accelerator series. Over the previous nine articles, I’ve taken you…