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Ask HN: When should a startup do a patent search?
With some (postgraduate) classmates we're starting a new project aimed at solving some problems for the elderly.
During our initial search, I came up with some similar projects, some are under development and others are already on the market - but we think we can add value to customers anyway :)
Should we do a patent search around our initial concept, or wait for a possible pivot? If we find similar patents, should we abandon the project and focus on something else? Has someone licensed patents as a proto-startup? Do you do a patent search when starting a project or startup?
- debacle 14y agoYou do a patent search when a potential investor asks you to, and not sooner. http://paulgraham.com/startupfaq.html http://paulgraham.com/startupfaq.html Scroll to the bottom.
- GFischer 14y agoThanks, should have re-read that first !!! We do have some potential angel investors :) and we might apply for government funds. Edit: pg says "You probably have to worry more about it in hardware than in software" and we do want to do hardware, and that's my main concern. We can pivot into a software-only solution, but I really liked the hardware approach (as a kind of app-cessory).