2 ms·
Yes, I know, but my point is you don't need a patent in the first place. Your patent is going to cost you a bunch, and it's not going to help at all. If your p
by d--b 8d ago
Yes, I know, but my point is you don't need a patent in the first place. Your patent is going to cost you a bunch, and it's not going to help at all.
If your product does not interest a lot of people, the patent is going to be useless, cause nobody will want to steal your idea.
If your product does interest a lot of people, some people may want to steal it, but:
- would you sue a Chinese company for selling copies of your stuff on AliExpress? How would you even sue that company?
- would you sue a major tech firm, while it's likely that anything that you built is likely infringeing on at least one of their patents?
- in the case you want sue, what are the odds of winning? Your patent may be void for a variety of reasons, and a copying product may not be considered as infringeing, if it has enough difference with the patented invention. What time frame are you looking at? 5 years, 10 years? Do you want to spend 10 years in litigations? What legal costs are you facing? Probably in the tens of thousands.
My advice to you as a failed startup founder myself, is to cool your head down, and stop imagining that what you invented is the next telephone, and pitch pitch pitch. If you pitch a room with 100 people, you'll be lucky if 2 guys come up to you at the end telling you your stuff is a good idea.
The patent is keeping you in a fantasy world, and that's not good.
- bhollan 8d agoI'm in DC. You're suggesting I just go to pitch meetings and pitch with no patent? Doesn't that make me vulnerable to IP 'theft'?
- samsiavoshian 7d ago[flagged]
- d--b 5d agoYes, that's what I am suggesting. Yes it makes you vulnerable to IP theft, and it does happen. But if you look for startup founding advice, people will tell you that it's a mistake to try and protect your idea. The main arguments are: 1. Execution matters more than the idea. 2. It's always better to get feedback / test the market earlier rather than later. 3. Your IP may be protected in theory, but in practice, companies infringe on patents all the time. See for instance here: https://daniellenewnham.medium.com/no-one-is-going-to-steal-your-idea-ee74e2d60dc8 https://daniellenewnham.medium.com/no-one-is-going-to-steal-... or here: https://www.talkingquickly.co.uk/2015/04/what-id-tell-myself-about-startups/ https://www.talkingquickly.co.uk/2015/04/what-id-tell-myself...