Patents may sound like they belong in the world of old school business, like something your grandpa would warn you about as you start your new company. “Don’t forget to protect your assets, whippersnapper!”
The thing is, while grandpa may not have figured out exactly what the internets is yet, he’s right on this one: You don’t want to get Winklevossed. Unfortunately, patent law is super archaic and hard to navigate. If you give “get a patent,” you’ll find that some sites offer templates solutions and some offer you access to (too expensive if you’re bootstrapping) patent lawyers. Neither solution is really great for a startup founder looking for a relatively simple, relatively inexpensive way to patent a product.
You’re probably starting to wonder where this is going, so let me cut to the chase: There is a site that can help you out, affordably and without any templates. They’re called SmartUp® and they’ve managed to cut the cost of acquiring startup patents in half. They sent us over this awesome infographic that breaks down all the info you need to know about patents. Check it: