Inventive Fireside | Straight Answers. Smart Next Steps.
by Devin @ Miller IP
Patent, trademark, copyright, and business questions answered in 60 seconds, then expanded into actionable advice in just a few minutes.Inventive Fireside helps startup founders and small business owners protect ideas, build brands, and make smarter business decisions.Drawing on 15 years as a patent attorney and experience building businesses, I explain the details, tradeoffs, and next steps in plain English.Explore patent strategy, trademark protection, copyright ownership, and practical small business guidance.Bring your questions. Leave with a next step.https://strategymeeting.com
Episodes
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🧭 From Invention to Exit: A Patent Roadmap That Works
A great invention idea is a beginning. Building something customers will buy requires a few additional ingredients, including research, development, a realistic budget, and a willingness to hear feedback that does not come with applause. In this episode, Devin Miller, patent attorney and...
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💸 Free Legal Templates + AI: Saving Money or Trouble?
Can you really download a free legal template, run it through artificial intelligence, and end up with a reliable contract for your startup? Or is that like buying a parachute at a dollar store and hoping the packaging looks trustworthy? In this episode of Inventive Fireside, patent and trademark...
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🎨 How Much Must You Change to Avoid Copyright?
Is there a magic percentage that lets you modify someone else’s copyrighted work and safely call it your own? No—and that “twenty percent rule” you may have heard online is one of the most persistent copyright myths. In this episode, we break down what actually matters when you use, imitate…
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⚠️ Trademark Description Mistakes That Cost You Money
Trademark applications look easy until you reach the goods-and-services section. That description may seem like a routine form field, but getting it wrong can mean unnecessary fees, examination problems, weaker coverage, or a completely new filing. In this episode, we break down the...
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🤖 Free Legal Templates + AI: Smart or Risky?
Can you download a free contract, throw it into AI, ask for a few changes, and confidently use it for your startup? The frustratingly lawyer-like answer is: it depends. In this Inventive Fireside episode, Devin Miller breaks down a practical framework for startup founders and small business…
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🤔 I Did My Own Patent Search. Now What?
You did your own patent search. You searched Google, tried Google Patents, looked through a few results, and nothing seemed especially close. So… are you clear? In this discussion, we break down why a DIY patent search is a smart first step for inventors, startup founders, and small business...
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⚖️ Do Nonprofits Get Special Trademark Treatment?
Do nonprofits get special trademark treatment—or does the USPTO treat a charity like any other organization protecting a brand? In this episode, we break down a common misconception among nonprofit founders and board members: the idea that a charitable mission creates a special set of trademark...
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💡 Can You Patent a Simple Invention? Yes—But...
💡 Think your invention is too simple to patent? That assumption may be doing more damage than the simplicity of the idea itself. In this Inventive Fireside breakdown, Devin explains why patentability is not a complexity contest. Your invention does not need thirty components or an engineering...
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🤔 Why File a Trademark You Probably Won’t Get?
What happens when a trademark attorney looks at your proposed brand and says the odds of registration are low? Most business owners hear that and think the next step is obvious: save the filing fee, skip the application, and move on. But there are situations where filing a difficult trademark...
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⚠️ The Dumbest Way to Protect Your Software
Think a copyright is the cheaper shortcut to protecting your software? That belief can leave a serious gap between what a founder thinks is protected and what the law may actually cover. In this episode, we break down one of the most common software intellectual property mistakes: assuming...
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How I'd draft a patent in 15 minutes ⏱️
Can AI really help draft a patent application in 15 minutes? In this Inventive Fireside | 60 Second Answers episode, Devin Miller tests the idea in real time using ChatGPT and an intentionally memorable invention: a tennis ball with an integrated gyroscope designed to move dynamically for dog…
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What Creators Don't Know About Reaction Videos
Are reaction videos protected by fair use, or are many creators simply benefiting from the fact that nobody has challenged them yet? In this Inventive Fireside | 60 Second Answers episode, Devin breaks down the copyright questions hiding behind one of the internet’s most popular formats. Reaction...
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🔧 Can You Patent an Accessory for Someone Else’s Product?
Can you patent an accessory that works with someone else’s product? Often, yes—but a patent does not automatically give you permission to manufacture or sell the complete setup. In this Inventive Fireside | 60 Second Answers episode, Devin explains one of the most misunderstood ideas in patent...
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💡 Got an Invention? Do These 3 Things Before Calling A Lawyer
💡 You have an invention. Should your first move be calling a patent attorney? Not necessarily. In this Inventive Fireside | 60 Second Answers episode, Devin from Miller IP explains three practical steps inventors should complete before a patent consultation: write the invention down, search for...
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🥴 Can the Drunk Grandma Test Strengthen Your Patent?
Are big words hiding a weak invention? In this Inventive Fireside episode, patent attorney Devin Miller explains why complicated language can create more problems than protection when inventors describe their ideas. Inventors naturally want their concepts to sound new, technical, and impressive....
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🔥 What Most Outdoor Startups Get Wrong About Branding and Product Design
What does it actually take to build a successful outdoor brand? According to outdoor entrepreneur Kevin Timm… a lot more than simply designing great gear. In this Inventive Fireside webinar, Kevin shares hard-earned lessons from launching multiple outdoor brands, navigating patents and legal...
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🍦 What an Ice Cream Shop Can Teach You About Building a Successful Business
What does an ice cream shop have to do with building a successful business? Apparently… quite a lot. 🍦 In this Inventive Fireside webinar, Jessica Gould joins Devin Miller to discuss the realities of transforming an idea into a functioning, scalable business. While entrepreneurship is often...
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🧠 Client Thought a Warning Came First
A business owner thought the warning would come first. That sounds logical. It also sounds like the type of logic that gets expensive once a lawsuit arrives wearing polished shoes and holding a deadline. In this Inventive Fireside episode, Devin explains one of the most common legal myths in...
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🤯 Why CEOs Keep Repeating the Same Business Mistakes Despite “Knowing Better”
Why do smart CEOs keep repeating the same business mistakes despite fully understanding what they “should” be doing? In this episode of Inventive Fireside, Devin Miller sits down with mindset and performance coach Curtis McCullom to explore the hidden psychological patterns that quietly sabotage...
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🏡 The Wealth-Growing Formula Behind Build-to-Rent Real Estate Investing
In this episode of Inventive Fireside, Devin Miller sits down with Axel Meierhoefer to explore the evolving world of build-to-rent real estate investing, passive income portfolio creation, investor psychology, and the future impact of AI on wealth-building strategies. The conversation dives far...
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⏳ The Patent Grace Period Trap: Why “I Have a Year” Is Dangerous Startup Advice
The episode also highlights why filing within one year is not always the end of the story. Even if a founder files before the deadline, disclosure history can create headaches during patent examination, enforcement, lawsuits, licensing, fundraising, or acquisition due diligence. Competitors and...
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💸 Cash Runway Secrets Every Founder Should Know Before Scaling Too Fast
Growth sounds exciting until payroll arrives. In this Inventive Fireside Webinar, Anthony Nitsos joins Devin Miller to unpack one of the most important startup survival topics founders routinely underestimate: cash runway management. Too many entrepreneurs focus entirely on revenue, valuation,...
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🚨 The Hidden Danger of AI-Written Patents: More Jargon, Less Protection
In this Inventive Fireside episode, Devin breaks down one of the biggest traps facing inventors, founders, and small business owners right now: relying on AI to draft patent applications that sound official but may not actually protect the invention. AI can write quickly. It can produce polished...
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😬 Someone Else Filed My Trademark: Your Options Before Rebrand Panic
In this Inventive Fireside episode, Devin from Miller IP breaks down one of the most uncomfortable trademark moments a founder can face: discovering that another business filed for the same or similar trademark before you did. For startup founders and small business owners, this can feel like...
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🌐 URL Rebranding for Startups: Strategic Upgrade or Costly Distraction?
In this Inventive Fireside discussion, Devin breaks down a deceptively simple founder question: should your startup or small business rebrand its URL? At first, changing a domain sounds easy. Buy the new URL, point the website over, update a few links, and celebrate with a LinkedIn post that says...
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⏰ How Quickly to Fire Bad Clients When the Red Flags Start Waving
In this Inventive Fireside episode, Devin tackles a question every founder, consultant, agency owner, and small business leader eventually faces: how quickly should you fire bad clients when the red flags start waving? The answer is refreshingly direct. When a client becomes truly difficult,...
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🔑 Why the Owner Mindset Is the Fastest Path to Sustainable Wealth
Why do some people work nonstop yet never feel financially secure, while others build sustainable wealth with far less day-to-day effort? The answer often comes down to mindset—specifically, whether you think like an employee or like an owner. In this Inventive Fireside episode, host Devin Miller...
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🔥 The 5 Legal Moves Every Founder Must Make Before Launching a Business
Most founders can tell you their logo idea, their pricing model, and their launch date. Far fewer can tell you what happens if a client sues, a partner relationship breaks down, a regulator knocks, or a ransomware email turns into a business shutdown. In this episode, we walk through the 5 legal...
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"Separating Ego from Business Success" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Joe Sanok
Each person should assess how much their ego is tied to their business. If your sense of self-worth is deeply connected to your business’s success, your emotions will fluctuate with its highs and lows. To create a healthier balance, consider setting both hard and soft boundaries. Soft boundaries...
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"The Power of Energy and Support" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Laura Patterson
I have a lot of energy, but I also have incredible support that keeps me going. It's essential to have supportive people in your life—whether it's family or friends—who uplift you. Additionally, finding ways to recharge is crucial. I know you're a runner, and I run too—exercise and good sleep are...
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"Balancing Commitments and Self-Care" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Richard Blank
I'm typically affected most by the actions of third parties, a consequence I willingly accepted when I signed up for this journey. The toll includes stress, late nights, and early mornings, but what truly concerns me is the disappointment from individuals I've invested in or relied upon who don't...
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"Rediscovering My Why: Journey of Purpose & Family" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Colby Tunick
I always make it a point to reflect on my purpose, and what's fascinating is that when we initially started the company, my sense of purpose wasn't particularly strong. About a year and a half ago, I decided to use a digital whiteboard with digital sticky notes to explore my why. I wrote down…
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"Embracing Delegation for Long-Term Success" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Daniel Felt
Personally, I'm only 33, so I'm not ready to give up or retire anytime soon. However, I do see Kura Home as my retirement plan, and perhaps I'll reach that point when I'm around 40. Maybe my children will take over when I'm 65 or 70. Nevertheless, I believe that none of us are immune to…
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"Show Gratitude Every Day" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Brian Winch
There are always things that you're going to try that maybe you were excited about initially, and then you find out it's not what you thought it was. Then you actually find out that you don't really enjoy doing it. So, you realize that it's not for you and you move on. Maybe there's something…
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"Release The Pressure" Growth Advice For Entrepreneurs w/ Rael Bricker
I have built a team that the business can operate without me. That said, I have 14,000 clients that I've seen over the 20-odd years, and so a lot of those clients still want to see me, but people are pretty good about, oh, well, I'll wait two weeks till Rael is back in the office. So that's the...
About this show
Patent, trademark, copyright, and business questions answered in 60 seconds, then expanded into actionable advice in just a few minutes.Inventive Fireside helps startup founders and small business owners protect ideas, build brands, and make smarter business decisions.Drawing on 15 years as a patent attorney and experience building businesses, I explain the details, tradeoffs, and next steps in plain English.Explore patent strategy, trademark protection, copyright ownership, and practical small business guidance.Bring your questions. Leave with a next step.https://strategymeeting.com
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Devin @ Miller IP
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