Talk IP to me

Adam Fox is a business leader and long-time IP industry operator. He is a Board Member at FundingIP, a UK nonprofit that helps innovators protect IP through zero-equity grants, funding support, and the CEO of Insperanto (global patent translation and foreign filing support).In this episode, Adam joins David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com) to break down how FundingIP works in practice, how startups can get matched with the right attorney, and how founders can think more strategically about IP funding, filing, and foreign expansion without getting stuck in slow, complex grant processes.In this episode, you’ll learn:◼️ How FundingIP’s 90-minute IP strategy grant works◼️ Why matching with the right attorney matters so much for startups◼️ What happens after the first strategy session◼️ What FundingIP’s filing grant covers (and what it does not cover)◼️ How the innovation grant works and how the panel selects winners◼️ How government IP grants typically compare in time, effort, and approval rates◼️ Where founders most commonly overspend in IP00:00 Intro01:08 Adam’s path: from psychology to IP and startup funding02:53 How FundingIP works: application, speed, approvals04:00 Matching founders with the right attorney (tech niche + jurisdiction)05:56 Who can apply? Geographic eligibility (global / “planet Earth”)07:41 The 90-minute strategy session09:50 Reimbursement: do you get it back even if you don’t continue with the attorney?10:36 What comes after the strategy session: drafting, filing, foreign jurisdictions12:07 Role of service providers in foreign filing & translation13:05 The filing grant: what it covers (and what it doesn’t)14:37 Innovation grants: what they are and how they can scale17:49 The innovation grant panel: how winners are selected19:55 Why some applicants get rejected (the ~20%)21:48 Attorney matching and psychological fit22:52 Insperanto’s network that supports attorney matching24:56 Government grants for official filing fees: what’s available26:00 Government grants vs FundingIP: timelines, effort, approval rates28:40 Which grant should time-pressed founders prioritize?30:42 Rapid fire “IP confessions”Follow Adamhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/insperanto/FundingIPhttps://fundingip.com/Insperantohttps://insperanto.com/Join PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcomFollow David:https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/GET IN TOUCHOur website: https://patentrenewal.com/About usAt PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use.That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work.Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

Jonas Hagman is a European Patent Attorney, IP strategist, and the founder of IPsteading, where he helps SMEs and startup founders turn intellectual property into real leverage for funding, growth, and exits.In this episode, Jonas joins David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com) to break down why IP so often becomes just a “checkbox” for startups, and how founders can build an IP approach that actually matches their business, product roadmap, and investor reality.IPcoach by IPsteading:https://www.ipsteading.com/ipcoachIn this episode, you’ll learn:◼️ Why startups don’t need “a patent”. They need an IP strategy that asks the right business questions◼️ Jonas’ “travel agency vs car rental” analogy for what good IP guidance looks like◼️ How to identify your real IP (and why founders often miss 80% of it)◼️ The “fast to file, fast to withdraw” approach for moving markets and uncertain roadmaps◼️ How IP can strengthen investor confidence (and the follow-up questions investors should ask)◼️ How to use patents as tools: blocking, licensing (paid or free), and building standards◼️ Red flags that signal a startup is treating IP as a checkbox.. or filing too late00:00 Intro01:35 Jonas’ path: why he left classic advisory03:54 “Translator” between IP and business05:07 What IPsteading actually does (and why the name)06:59 First step for founders with no IP knowledge08:55 The 90 days / 90 months challenge: what to do first12:13 Building an IP learning culture (take action + protect ownership)15:05 Finding the right attorney / partner17:24 IP as tools: block, license, create advantage18:43 Case story: Ather Energy and the “free license” move23:05 Startup red flags: weak IP thinking23:42 Red flag #1 - IP as a checkbox24:18 Red flag #2 - Filing too late26:35 How IP rights can help investor relationships30:00 Why IP seems irrelevant early, but then becomes existential31:18 How founders should learn IP (free resources + implementation)32:59 Rapid fire questions36:20 OutroFollow Jonas:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-hagman/Join the PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/patentrenewalcom Follow David:https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-breitenbach/GET IN TOUCHOur website: https://patentrenewal.com/About usAt PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use.That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work.Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

Sharon Shofner-Meyer is a seasoned executive and strategist with deep expertise in legal tech, intellectual property and AI product management - also the author of IP work reinvented. In this episode she explains how AI can help patent practitioners scale the quality and volume of their output. We cover how mature today’s AI tools really are, and what IP leaders should do to govern, train, and measure for quality. We dig into the talent crunch, prompt engineering as “the new legal writing”, measurable quality gains in patent drafting (around 40% fewer errors), and why transparency and rational governance matter. In this episode, you’ll learn:◼️ Why the billable hour for law firms is under pressure and how AI fits into existing workflows◼️ The capacity/capability crunch in IP talent and where skills are missing◼️ A practical patent drafting flow: human draft → AI checks → iterate◼️ Where AI isn’t ready alone and why human strategy is still important to steer AI to the right direction◼️ How to teach prompt engineering to future lawyers, build AI-literate teams, and avoid shadow AI◼️ A look ahead at firm-trained “virtual AI teammates” that will preserve institutional knowledge and help new colleagues get up to speed00:00 Into01:00 Sharon’s path from science to patents and AI02:38 AI’s long arc, recent acceleration05:37 Where skills are missing across the IP industry07:19 How AI helps - better patent drafting workflow10:02 AI’s maturity - how people + AI wins13:07 Prompt engineering is the new legal writing16:08 An upgrading curriculum and practice reps21:00 Rational governance - stopping AI with sanctioned tools22:33 What an AI-literate IP leader looks like; change management26:59 Small budgets, big wins - start with PTO comms automation29:29 Five-year outlook: AI voice agents, and institutional knowledge31:04 Advice to new attorneys: mentors, networks, process-AI courses33:04 Rapid fire questionsFollow Sharon:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonshofner/Join the PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://bit.ly/patentrenewalcomFollow David:https://bit.ly/david-breitenbachGet in touchOur website: https://patentrenewal.com/About usAt PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use.That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work.Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

IP manager Katalin Sólyom, Ph.D. shares a practical playbook for aligning patents with fast-moving products, and getting the whole company to speak “IP” with you.Katalin leads IP at Gehring Technologies after nearly a decade in chemical engineering and biotech research. That lab-to-IP transition gives her a rare dual view: how inventions are created and how they become defendable, valuable business assets.In this episode, Katalin sits down with David Breitenbach (CCO, PatentRenewal.com) to unpack what IP management looks like on the ground - culture, process, and decisions - when you can’t afford waste and the roadmap keeps changing.She explains:◼️ Bridging the gap between R&D, sales/marketing, finance, and leadership so IP is understood as a tool, not just a cost.◼️ Why IP is a “foreign language” for many teams, and how consistent terms and simple explanations change decisions.◼️ The process shift that took her team from reviewing 3 patents/hour to 20, and a great feedback system.◼️ Balancing data vs. intuition (hello, Kahneman’s “What You See Is All There Is”) and checking hidden assumptions.◼️ How e-mobility and the realities in the OEM industry demand flexibility, modularity, and constant FTO awareness.◼️ Quick lenses for value: in-product use, ability to block competitors, and licensing potential, plus where she’d start if forced to cut 20%.00:00 Intro02:42 If leadership doesn’t recognize the value of IP05:46 Cultural challenge of decision making and communication07:10  Alignment meetings vs working with R&D08:11  Helping leadership understand IP11:00 Seeing the value of IP13:59 Quality of decision making19:06 Making decisions based on  hard data vs intuition20:56 Process for evaluating past decisions?24:16 B2B2C - Flexibility in the OEM industry25:59 E-mobility and product consolidation26:36 Rapid fire questionsFollow Katalin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katalinsolyom/Join the PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://bit.ly/patentrenewalcomFollow David:https://bit.ly/david-breitenbachGET IN TOUCHOur website: https://patentrenewal.com/About usAt PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use.That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work.Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

IP management expert, Bas Albers breaks down how to manage patents that support your business without draining your budget.Bas Albers has more than 20 years of experience helping companies - from SMEs to global enterprises - turn their patent portfolios into real business assets. Bas has built IP systems for more than 15 companies, aligned portfolios to product roadmaps, reduced unnecessary patent renewal spending, and helped leadership teams understand where patents create value (and where they don’t).In this episode, Bas sits down with David Breitenbach, CCO of PatentRenewal.com, to talk about building a patent strategy that stays aligned with products, business goals, and reality, even when things change fast.He explains:◼️ Why the biggest internal IP risk is misalignment between patents and products◼️ The single most common mistake companies make before he arrives◼️ Why patent value is hard to measure, and what to focus on instead◼️ How to avoid paying renewals for patents that no longer matter◼️ Why IP managers should find the common language◼️ How Patent Cockpit helps SMEs stay in control00:00 Intro01:20 Who is Bas Albers?02:33 First company assessments04:44 The biggest mistake companies make with patents05:56 His work on a strategic level06:58 Convincing management of patents09:09 When a great patent is useless10:56 Choosing which ideas are worth protecting12:21 Getting to know the product isn’t easy14:40 SMEs vs enterprises - how processes differ16:45 Patent pruning and rapid product cycles18:10 Translating patent language into product language19:52 Patent Cockpit explained21:42 How IP systems support better renewal decisions23:24 Why decisions shouldn’t be judged in hindsight26:29 AI and the future of IP management29:45 Rapid-fire IP questionsFollow Bas:https://www.linkedin.com/in/basalbers/Join the PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://bit.ly/patentrenewalcomFollow David:https://bit.ly/david-breitenbachGet in touchOur website: https://patentrenewal.com/About usAt PatentRenewal.com, we believe IP renewals should be simple, transparent, and stress-free. We care about innovation and about making IP easier to understand and easier to use.That’s why we created Talk IP to me, the podcast that brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.In each episode, innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds share real stories, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you can actually apply in your work.Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.

Patent expert Michael Schuette reveals the art of writing strong, defensible patents, and the biggest red flags to avoid.Michael Schuette is a seasoned IP strategist, engineer, and inventor with over 15 years of experience in product development, patent portfolio management, and IP litigation support. He has written more than 100 patents, helped companies generate $10M+ in value, and now leads innovation as Chief Scientist and Director of Patents at BooleanLabs, where he applies AI and machine learning to deep-tech challenges across semiconductors, computer science, and biotech.In this episode, Michael sits down with David Breitenbach, CCO of PatentRenewal.com, to unpack the real-world mechanics of patents, from drafting and claim construction to patent mining and litigation strategy.He explains:◼️ Why most “star patents” in a portfolio turn out to be worthless◼️ The small words that can make or break a claim (“and” vs “or”)◼️ How to future-proof patents with a “sci-fi” mindset◼️ Why proving infringement matters more than originality◼️ The biggest red flags when working with patent attorneys◼️ How to build patents that actually hold up in court00:00 Intro01:16 Short bio of Michael05:17 Evaluation #1: Can you prove infringement?07:16 Story time of proving infringement08:50 Evaluation #2: Does it worth the effort?10:13 Red flag #1: Drafting patent applications11:55 Red flag #2-3: Indefiniteness and claim drafts13:02 Pro tip: Smart descriptions15.08 Horror story: Copied text17:53 Horror story: Typewriter21:02 The word “means”23:12 Pro tip: How to get granted quickly24:52 Writing with a sci-fi mindet27:35 Story time: One of the easiest patent to write and enforce29:33 Rapid fire questionsFollow Michael:https://bit.ly/michael-schuetteFollow David:⁠https://bit.ly/david-breitenbach⁠Join the PatentRenewal.com’s circle on LinkedIn:https://bit.ly/patentrenewalcomGet in touchOur website: https://patentrenewal.com/About usTalk IP to me brings fresh conversations to the world of intellectual property.Each episode features innovators, IP experts, founders, and legal minds sharing real stories, lessons learned, and practical insights you can actually use. Our goal is simple: make IP feel human, practical, and accessible.