Free founder worksheet

Invention Strategy & Evidence Worksheet

Prepare an evidence record before your first patent meeting. Print it, or save it as a PDF and fill it in. It follows the same questions as the Patent Decision Lab.

Keep it general. Do not write confidential technical details about how your invention works on this sheet, and do not send it to anyone before conflicts have been cleared and an engagement is in place. This worksheet is general preparation, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney–client relationship.

For each section, write a short answer, then record where the information comes from, when it is dated, whether it is verified or assumed, and what is still open. Facts with sources make better decisions than conclusions without them.

  1. 1. The technical problem

    What technical limitation does your work address? Describe it in general terms, the way you might in a public talk.

    Example: "Existing detectors lose accuracy after videos are recompressed." Not how you solve it.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

  2. 2. Public evidence that the problem exists

    What public sources show the problem is real: papers, benchmarks, standards, articles, or product reviews?

    Record titles, links, and publication dates.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

  3. 3. Alternatives and known approaches

    Which existing products, papers, or patent publications address the same problem, and how?

    This is a starting snapshot, not a patentability search.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

  4. 4. Disclosures, launches, and collaborations

    List past and planned demos, publications, preprints, conference talks, pilots, sales, offers, and public code releases.

    Dates and types of events only. Also note universities, contractors, or partners involved.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

  5. 5. What is verified, and what is assumed

    Which of your statements above are backed by documents or test results, and which are beliefs that still need checking?

    Separating the two makes your first meeting more productive.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

  6. 6. Commercial goals and budget

    What do you want patent protection to accomplish (investors, competitors, partnerships), where do you sell, and what budget range is realistic?

    Rough ranges are fine.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

  7. 7. Questions for your patent attorney or agent

    What do you want answered at your first meeting?

    For example: timing before a launch, provisional or non-provisional, ownership, foreign filing.

    SourceDateVerified or assumed?Open questions

Summary for your first meeting

Three to five lines: your goal, your key dates, and your top questions.

PatentDrafters · patentdrafters.com · General educational material. Not legal advice. No attorney–client relationship is created by using this worksheet.

Ready to talk it through?

Bring your completed summary to a 20-minute initial consultation. We will discuss goals, timing, and fit, without confidential details.

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