EP #146: Patents vs. Trade Secrets — Protect Your Concrete Ideas

PRESENTED BY: CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY Practical education and ongoing development for concrete professionals at every stage of their career. Join here: https://www.concretelogicacademy.com/ EPISODE SUMMARY If you’re building something new in this industry—mix designs, equipment, software, processes—there’s a good chance you’re creating intellectual property… without realizing it. In this episode, Seth Tandett sits down with Chen Wang, CEO of Steelike, to talk patents, trade secrets, NDAs, and the real-world decisions that decide whether you protect your advantage—or hand it to someone else. This isn’t legal theory. It’s how innovation actually gets copied in construction, why “we’ll just patent it” is usually oversimplified, and what a smart IP strategy looks like when you’re trying to build a business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN · The difference between patents, trade secrets, and copyrights (and why it matters) · When a patent makes sense—and when it can create new headaches · How trade secrets can last forever (but only if you treat them like secrets) · What you should protect: formulations, processes, tooling, or workflow · Why NDAs are common—and why they don’t magically solve everything · How enforcement really works when someone copies your idea · The biggest misconceptions about IP in construction and engineering · How to build an IP strategy that matches your business model CHAPTERS 00:00 – Understanding intellectual property in construction 05:00 – The basics of intellectual property 08:34 – When to patent vs. keep a trade secret 10:32 – Deciding what to protect: formulations and processes 13:52 – Enforcing patents and trade secrets 15:58 – The risks and rewards of patents 18:47 – Identifying valuable trade secrets 20:05 – Protecting your ideas before sharing 23:33 – Navigating NDAs in the construction industry 25:24 – Developing an IP strategy 27:37 – Misconceptions about IP in construction GUEST INFO Chen Wang, CEO Steelike [email protected] https://steelike.com/ CONCRETE LOGIC PARTNERS INTELLIGENT CONCRETE Concrete not behaving the way it should? Dr. Jon Belkowitz and the Intelligent Concrete team combine lab-level testing with real-world field experience to get to the root cause of performance issues—not just treat the symptoms. https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY Earn PDHs in the same straight-talk format as the podcast: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/academy SUPPORT THE PODCAST Did you get value out of the show? Give some value back: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/donate Buy your KUIU work & hunting gear and 10% goes to the show. No added cost to you: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/kuiu Media, sponsorship, or content inquiries: [email protected] CREDITS Producer: Karl Watson, Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media Music by Mike Dunton: https://www.mdunton.com/ WHERE TO FIND SETH https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-tandett/ https://www.youtube.com/@concretelogicpodcast https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com