Friday, January 30, 2015

It's happening


The photo shows 3 experiments started today.
One is a manufacturing process idea.
The other two  aim to greatly improve the MoaB's comfort, convenience, and functionality.
Also began accumulating needed supplies and materials for the creation of a dozen next generation
prototypes. Back to work...

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Bootstrap!

Greetings,
My mind is still spinning with all the latest developments and ideas but I thought I should update while I can for those few that are following this true life story.
As suspected, no agreement was ever reached with BankonIP. Their investors are more interested in more mature companies (beyond the seed stage) in more mainstream areas such as technology , medical products, and mass market consumables. Sorry, a million dollars would be more trouble than it's worth right now!  We also had fundamental differences in communication, values, and vision. I was unwilling to give up all control and they wanted way too much equity for what I felt was insufficient value.  Plus, the final straw really was that the mutual disclosure process was too lopsided; I was not getting the information I needed to trust them!




The great news: during one discussion it was pointed out to me that, given my current ability to build prototypes and test them, that I am actually very close to being able to bootstrap this company into the marketplace, just as Dell and Facebook have done. Doing so could also attract a big name (anyone ever heard of Laird Hamilton  and Stand Up Paddleboards ?) that could potentially provide angel seed capital as well as huge credibility and exposure (Shark Tank effect).
I have 3 board builders that have personally assured me that they can build custom boards for Disruptive Wind, and 2 different companies that would be interested in the footdeck side of the equation. My law firm Mohr IP Law is on top of the foreign patenting aspect. The United Inventors Association and the State of Oregon are also supporting me with all kinds of resources and contacts.

The current focus: taxes and building/testing the next generation of prototypes, and I do mean plural!
These will go into the possession of willing beta testers after initial safety testing and I will be as hands off  as I can possibly be. I can not be in multiple places at once, but the MoaB can be!
Also, for documenting and marketing purposes, we are going to ramp up the photography. I have 3 photographers that would love to be involved more, and lots of new technology coming out from GoPro (sports cameras), Xensr (sports motion trackers), Airdog (auto follow drone for GoPro), and more. I have new ideas for building key parts and have identified where I can get 3D printing done.
So it's going to be busy, busy, busy as the local windsurfing season rapidly approaches.
Further seed money offers (or other offers)  are welcome (either secured debt or equity) but I am not going to be actively searching. I will post here when there is significant news, otherwise, assume I am burning the midnight oil (not to fear: LED's!). Be well.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A bit of history

Greetings,
Over the course of product development for the MoaB (TM) repositioner (patent #8870615), over 20 different prototypes have been constructed to test various concepts. Some never even made it to the water, others only briefly. For the purpose of documenting and analysis, video was taken of much of the field testing. As I am preparing to provide information for "due diligence" for a potential deal, I ran across some never watched helmet cam video of a pivotal outing. It was during this short session that a number of important concepts were proven or "discovered", such as "dunk" jibes and "drop hopping". The most important concept proven was that the MoaB repositioner can be used to great advantage on high wind "sinker" boards.  The video is not very polished, and there is no clew mount or external views, but it is short (under 3 minutes) and fast (as is the board). Here it is:



Sorry about that, I had used some nice music that turned out to be copyrighted .
Speaking of, please do not use my patented idea without sending me a royalty.
Only $5 per board, and $3 for each footdeck.
Mail to ;  Peter Schulz  PO Box 2388 Gearhart OR 97138-2388
I do not have products for sale yet. This is unacceptable, I know this. I need help!
I need an entrepreneur to partner with or take over.
 I will make it well worth your while (understatement).
For the right person(s), this is a dream opportunity. The patent is so strong because it has 3 method claims that prevent anyone from creating anything that does the same action. It just does not get any better than that! Get in touch at disruptivewind@gmail.com

OK, here is the revised video without any music (unless you count my hooting) :


Have a great day!



Saturday, January 10, 2015

Commercialization Part 4

Greetings,
More "boring" business stuff here. I felt bad about speaking poorly of this company as they seem to have brought me very good luck! Up past midnight 2 nights in a row. So I am going to give them first right of refusal (for 2 weeks).
Here is the letter:

Peter Schulz disruptivewind@gmail.com

11:59 AM (1 minute ago)
to Amy
Hello Amy at BankonIP,
A lot has happened in a very short period of time! I am not sure whether to blame or thank you or if this is just a coincidence but some sort of tipping point has been reached and now I am swamped with opportunities. Please be discrete about what I have revealed to you as I am now in a situation of containment so that I can maintain a competitive value/element of surprise to the marketplace. Obviously, I am not interested in your program you have outlined, however I do feel that if you want to make a direct offer to purchase the US patent, I would consider that, asking $180K currently (price good for 14 calender days to 1-26-2015). We fully intend to go for the new European unitary patent, etc. as that is where the big money is going to be IMO. We are considering a local start-up (Portland,OR, this place is HAPPENING, move your company here!) if things come together, in which case we would either buy the patent back (at a healthy premium, of course) or license from you. I'm willing to consider other types of deals that would be mutually beneficial. Time is of the essence.
Again, please do not solicit or market on my behalf, I will not compensate you for it, we have no agreement in writing or otherwise.
Life is full of surprises!    Thanks,   Peter Schulz / Disruptive Wind 

As I asked her, I ask you as well, please do NOT help spread the word. And no, this is not some sort of reverse psychology!   < If this blog disappears, you will know things got out of control >

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Commercialization part 3

Very quick response:

Re:  The Commercialization of the “Dynamic Foot Repositioning Systems Commercialization”
                                                                                               
Dear Peter,

I look forward to speaking with you and learning more about the “Dynamic Foot Repositioning Systems Commercialization”.    That video looked fantastic!

If you are looking into getting your patent commercialized I would like to make a presentation to our Executive Management Team.  This presentation would ultimately lead to a full evaluation, including a market assessment and valuation.  Upon completion of our comprehensive review, a final determination is made of BankonIP’s interest and level of investment capital available for your project.  We do not charge a fee for this review and valuation, however please know that we select a limited number of patents each quarter and the IP must meet our initial investment criteria to be considered.

Once the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified if funding is approved and available from our firm.  With over 90% of our business being contingency based today, it is important to know that our goal is to establish a long-term relationship with you.  We do this by adding outstanding patents with excellent potential to our portfolio.  By taking a vested interest in your project, our compensation is then based on a percentage of the revenues you collect (which eliminates your personal risk and requires little investment). 

Our partnership approach with patent holders will also allow you to be a part of our team during the launch of an aggressive marketing campaign.  We have developed many successful techniques and strategies over the years, and as our partner you will enjoy the benefits from these proprietary services:  market research, written prospectus, financial pro formas, media kits, trade shows, due diligence, contract negotiations, account management, audits, infringement enforcement resources, and legal/litigation resources. 

As you can see, BankonIP is a good choice when looking for a partner to broker and/or manage your IP Assets.  Another great benefit of our team is the vast amount of contacts we have amassed over the many years of working exclusively with intellectual property.  We are well connected with many Licensees,Investors, and Buyers of intellectual property.  Thus the creation of “LIBSoft”, our proprietary database and software that includes nearly 500,000 manufacturers, all headquartered in the United States looking for new product development opportunities.


It is important to know who to talk with when contacting companies, but invaluable to have longstanding relationships and an understanding of what will drive them to pursue negotiations with you.  We utilize a comprehensive three-step process to qualify potential candidates.  Upon meeting our select criteria, we will communicate with each of our contacts and begin negotiations for a mutually beneficial agreement to get the “Dynamic Foot Repositioning Systems Commercialization” to market.

As a full service agency, BankonIP manages the entire commercialization process for our client/partners, including the ongoing asset tracking and account management with each company (license agreement).  If the “Dynamic Foot Repositioning Systems Commercialization” is approved, we will agree to cover at least 50% of the expenses directly associated with the marketing of your project and be compensated with a 15% - 25% share of royalties/revenues collected:

Revenue Sharing Model Example:
            First year payments due for the use rights of your patent = $100,000
                        (Through a license agreement with a 20% commission)

                        You receive -                           $80,000
                        BankonIP Commission -         $20,000 (based on a 20% fee)

Attached please find a questionnaire that will assist in our evaluation process and help us determine if you qualify for a marketing partnership and potential funding.

If you have an interest in working with BankonIP, please complete the questionnaire and return it to my attention with any additional information you feel would be beneficial in our review (brochure, video, sample/prototype if available, business plan, etc.).  Upon receipt, I will make a presentation to our Executive Management Team and they will complete a market assessment for our Board’s consideration and approval. Remember we do not charge a fee for our review and there is absolutely no obligation on your part for us to complete this evaluation.

I’m very excited about the potential for the “Dynamic Foot Repositioning Systems Commercialization” and look forward to working with you.  Keep in mind we have a couple of companies interested in reviewing the patent, so please return the questionnaire right away for our consideration.  

There are many choices when looking to commercialize your IP:  First is choosing the right path or “exit strategy”.  Second is selecting the right partner to navigate this complex journey.  By partnering with BankonIP, we can greatly increase your chances for financial success and eliminate the loss of valuable time.

Best regards,


Amy Schleicher
Director of Business Development



BankOnIP

BOOM! And just like that, they lost my business. Lying to me and using a poorly modified form letter. It all adds up to a waste of my time and a lesson learned. At this point, I highly suspect they do not have my best interests in mind, if you know what I mean...

Commercialization part 2

Greetings,
One of the functions of this blog is to give fairly current updates of what is happening with the Disruptive Wind saga. This may be extremely boring to friends or family not that interested. Hopefully you can spot these type of posts and ignore them. 
That said, here is more back and forth with the IP broker: IP: Intellectual Property (patents, etc,)

She replies:

Hi Peter,
I will try my best to answer your questions/concerns.

We don't advertise.  We aren't an invention promotion firm.  We don't help people or advise anyone to get patents.  We help after the fact. After the patent has been issued.  We are simply a brokerage firm that specializes in the commercialization of new technology. So the questions really don’t apply to our firm.

(1) The total number of inventions evaluated by the invention promoter for commercial potential in the past 5 years, as well as the number of those inventions that received positive evaluations, and the number of those inventions that received negative evaluations..  Our evaluations are for us only.  We’ve only been in business for 2 years and work with less than 5% of the patents we evaluate.  We invest our own money into the expenses so we are extremely selections.  We work with about 60-70 projects a year.
(2)The total number of customers who have contracted with the invention promoter in the past 5 years, not including customers who have purchased trade show services, research, advertising, or other non-marketing services from the invention promoter, or who have defaulted in their payment to the invention promoter.. We only have one program, we don’t do ala carte.  Again, we work with about 60-70 client per year.
(3)The total number of customers known by the invention promoter to have received a net financial profit as a direct result of the invention promotion services provided by such invention promoter.  Our success rate is just less than 10%
(4)The total number of customers known by the invention promoter to have received license agreements for their inventions as a direct result of the invention promotion services provided by such invention promoter. We license or sell just less than 10% of the patents we work with.
(5)The names and addresses of all previous invention promotion companies with which the invention promoter or its officers have collectively or individually been affiliated in the previous 10 years.
None.

I think the next thing is to set up a phone call so I can tell you exactly what we do, and make myself available for your questions.  What is the best time for you?

Amy Schleicher
Director of Business Development


BankOnIP
<contact info deleted>


I reply:

Hello Amy,
Sorry about the confusion,it was not immediately apparent you are an IP broker. Certainly, if you have strong interest on the buy side, you should consider adding me as a client as this innovation has already proven to be a real world success functionally. See this video: http://youtu.be/VIxJ1OoN5g0 . This is our kit version prototype that simply attaches to an existing windsurf board. Naish International has expressed strong interest as a distribution channel worldwide for the kit version. It is very tempting to go for it all and go into manufacturing and grow the business organically. However, international patenting is very expensive and needs to start soon. Looking at Europatent and a half dozen other countries. PCT is already complete. Ignore the Russian BS opinion, you get what you pay for with ROSPATENT!  Anyway, I'm not even talking to companies right now as I am working on new videos (marketing, instructional, infomercial) and doing more product development using some new materials and ideas.I do not currently have a prototype ready for demo or shipment. Targeting mid February for prototypes and videos. Also, I do not have a business plan completed that can verify 1000% ROI for angel groups. I am open to an active investor, licensing, or outright sale. I do have future projects clamoring for attention! So to pass this off and getting back to more inventing would be great. 
I re-read your e-mail and see that you have only one program? Please send me a summary and I'll look at it. This should really be on your website, as well as write ups of your team members, success stories, and a lot more. All for now, thanks!   Peter Schulz / Disruptive Wind

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Commercialization status

Dynamic Foot Repositioning Systems Commercialization

Peter Schulz disruptivewind@gmail.com

10:30 AM (2 minutes ago)
to Amy
Hello Amy,
I just received your letter dated Dec. 12, 2014. I was out of the country talking to potential angel investors. No deal has been signed yet and we continue to be receptive to all paths.
I am hopeful BankOnIP can facilitate a deal for us with companies and/or investors you have relationships with. Your website was a bit light on information so I am afraid that I must exercise some "due diligence" and ask you to send me the following information:

(1) The total number of inventions evaluated by the invention promoter for commercial potential in the past 5 years, as well as the number of those inventions that received positive evaluations, and the number of those inventions that received negative evaluations..
(2)The total number of customers who have contracted with the invention promoter in the past 5 years, not including customers who have purchased trade show services, research, advertising, or other non-marketing services from the invention promoter, or who have defaulted in their payment to the invention promoter..
(3)The total number of customers known by the invention promoter to have received a net financial profit as a direct result of the invention promotion services provided by such invention promoter.
(4)The total number of customers known by the invention promoter to have received license agreements for their inventions as a direct result of the invention promotion services provided by such invention promoter.
(5)The names and addresses of all previous invention promotion companies with which the invention promoter or its officers have collectively or individually been affiliated in the previous 10 years.

I have suffered from the "lone wolf" syndrome and have finally realized that more help is needed. This innovation is going to be a big success if handled properly. I look forward to your reply!   
  Thanks,    Peter Schulz




As you can see from the letter, Disruptive Wind is trying to bridge the gap between inventing/product development and entrepreneuring, which is where many companies fail. 
I am trying not to be one of them. Reaching out is risky business, but necessary for success.  This blog is a unique way of doing so as we refine our consumer product, which is still purposefully "pre-revenue". Rest assured I'll be personally knocking on doors before long with an awesome product. "Early bird gets the worm" means if you are reading this, and recognize the opportunity for YOUR company, get in touch! "Actively seeking innovation" is what gets results and I will certainly put things on hold to talk to you. Our future depends on it. Thanks.