Tech Leader Talk

Are you effectively leveraging your innovation and automation to improve efficiency?
On this episode of the podcast, I am talking with Andrew Cohen.
Andrew is the Managing Director of Netsurit and the Managing Partner of EVOKE.  These companies partner with clients to build modern workplace solutions that address organizational and technological challenges.
During our discussion, Andrew explains how he and his team help companies stay competitive through innovation and automation.  He talks about the relationship between innovation and automation.
During our conversation, Andrew talks about "Innovate as a Service" – a new term for me.  I encourage you to listen as Andrew explains how Netsurit uses "Innovate as a Service" with its clients.  It may give you some new ideas for your own business.
I'm sure you will enjoy this conversation with Andrew and get some insights on using innovation and automation to strengthen your company's competitive advantage.
"Look at your current business activities, identify any inefficiencies, and leverage your existing technology to be more efficient." – Andrew Cohen
Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast:
- Staying competitive through innovation and automation
- Providing innovation as an ongoing service
- Implementing Innovate as a Service
- User adoption as part of the innovation and automation process
- Fostering an innovative spirit in your organization
Connect with Andrew Cohen:
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-cohen-91945a4/
Website:  https://netsurit.com/en-us/
Thanks for listening!
Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Do you want to hear the story behind a space technology innovation that performs x-ray satellite inspection in space?  Keep listening because that's what I'll be discussing today with my guest, Lee Rosen.
Lee is a co-founder of Think Orbital with an interesting background spanning military service in the Air Force and working at SpaceX.  His fascination with aviation began in his high school rocketry club and has continued through his work at Think Orbital.
Lee discusses how the team at Think Orbital discovered that electron beam technology could generate x-rays.  This discovery led to their innovative system that can x-ray satellites to determine if weapons or other dangerous objects are hidden inside a satellite.
On this episode, Lee shares his motivation for co-founding Think Orbital and talks about the current projects the company is developing.
Lee talks about how true innovation often comes from accidental discoveries while solving real problems.  He also shares his belief that success in tech isn't just about physics – it's about questioning every human-made constraint.  If it's not a law of nature, it's open to challenge and innovation.
I'm confident that this conversation with Lee Rosen will give you some valuable information that you can apply in your own business.
Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast:
- True innovation from accidental discoveries
- Rigorous testing techniques
- Cross-disciplinary experimentation
- Enabling large-scale construction in space
- Why you should question every human-made constraint
Connect with Lee Rosen:
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/leewrosen/
Website:  https://thinkorbital.com/
Thanks for listening!
Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Can a "non-traditional background" produce valuable innovations in space technology?
On this episode of Tech Leader Talk, I'm talk with Ryan Sullivan who is a co-founder of Space Kinetic.  He talks about how his work with the Peace Corps and other non-technical organizations taught him problem-solving techniques that enable him to be a strong tech leader today.
Ryan shares insights on building breakthrough hardware, tackling national security challenges, and why asking "naive" questions leads to real progress. 
Ryan discusses how he and the team at Space Kinetic created the Whirlwind electromechanical deployment system.  This system offers a new approach to deploying micro-payloads from a host spacecraft at high velocities.
Ryan recommends reading on a wide variety of topics and drawing inspiration from outside your immediate field to create "aha moments" that shape company strategy.
I'm sure you will get some valuable insights from our conversation that you can apply in your own work.
Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast:
- Working on the frontier
- Building new space architectures
- Culture thrives when leaders encourage questions
- Creative problem solving
- Finding inspiration in unexpected places
Connect with Ryan Sullivan:
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryansteelesullivan/
Website:  https://www.spacekinetic.com/
Thanks for listening!
Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

On this episode, I'm continuing my discussion of the 7-Step system I created that's helped many tech companies build robust patent strategies.  I will be discussing the fourth step in that system, which is important to ensure that you create the best invention evaluation criteria for your business.
Two important things your Patent Strategy must do:
1.    Protect your company's critical inventions
2.    Support your business goals
By creating Invention Evaluation Criteria that's unique to your particular business, you satisfy both of those requirements.  First, your Invention Evaluation Criteria ensures that you are protecting your most valuable inventions.  And, your Invention Evaluation Criteria is customized for your specific business goals.
By creating invention evaluation criteria that's unique to your company, you can be sure that you are spending your patent budget to protect the inventions that are critical to your company's success.
With many of my clients, we create 12-15 different evaluation criteria that are applied to each invention.  Based on applying the evaluation criteria to multiple inventions, those inventions can be prioritized based on their value to the company.
I will discuss some of the common evaluation criteria used by clients for many years.
·       Feasibility of the invention.  Is it commercially feasible to design and produce the invention?  If the cost is too high or the development time is too long, the invention may not be a good choice for patenting.
·       Does the invention cover a "must-have" feature?  If this feature fills a desired gap in the marketplace, it may be a good candidate for a patent application if other criteria are confirmed.
·       Does the invention satisfy short-term or long-term goals of the company?  As I mentioned earlier, the inventions you patent should support company goals.
·       Is the invention related to the company's exit strategy?  Will the invention support that exit strategy?
·       Are there any potential patentability problems?  Some inventions may be valuable, but difficult to protect with a patent.
·       Can someone easily design around the invention?  If the invention is patented, can a competitor avoid infringing the patent by easily designing around the patent?
·       Should the invention be maintained as a trade secret instead of disclosing the invention details in a patent application? 
·       What's the lifetime value of a patent covering the invention?  If the invention is likely to be obsolete in a couple years, it may not be worth the time and expense to seek patent protection.
These are just some of the invention evaluation criteria that may be appropriate to your company.  It's important to define your own invention evaluation criteria that support your company goals and help build a portfolio of patents that are valuable to your organization.
Questions?
If you have any questions about building a robust patent strategy for your company, contact me to schedule a complimentary call.
Contact me via email: Steve@SteveSponseller.com
Thanks for listening!
Be sure to get your free copy of my latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover my proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Would you like a roadmap that helps your tech startup grow while you maintain control of the company?
On this episode, I have a great discussion with Ron Bauer who helps companies launch and raise funds without giving up control of the company.
Ron is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in technology, life sciences, education technology, and natural resources.  He has created a number of ventures with leading entrepreneurs and scientists.  He is the founder and managing partner of Theseus Capital.
Ron has also launched ventures with several academic institutions, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, and Cornell.
He has as strong track record of nurturing innovative concepts and supporting entrepreneurs and scientists from early-stage startups to initial public offerings.  Ron has successfully raised capital across many sectors, multiple geographies, and ever-changing market conditions.
I'm sure you will enjoy this discussion with Ron, where he shares his expertise with launching and growing tech companies, and discusses strategies for raising funds.
"The roadmap we created allows the founders to maintain control of the company and retain full scientific and creative freedom." – Ron Bauer
Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast:
- What investors look for in tech startups
- Creating and launching university spin-out companies
- Adapting to changing economic environments
- The critical importance of intellectual property
- Identifying hot sectors based on changing market conditions
 
Book recommendations:
Upsiders by Bobby Castro:  https://www.amazon.com/UPSIDERS-confusion-distractions-create-permanent/dp/B09ZCQSCSP
The Breakthrough Code by Tom McCarthy:  https://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Code-Living-Without-Limits/dp/B09RPWV5VG
 
Connect with Ron Bauer:
Website:  https://thescapital.com
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronbauer888/
Thanks for listening!
Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.