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That post read like a job security pitch for his field. I think as a general rule you want to avoid and delay using lawyers as much as possible: too much complexity, paperwork and cost, too early. Get to a sellable (and selling) product/service first, otherwise you're wasting your money and time.



On the flip side of that, a few hours of lawyer time in the first year of Facebook might have saved the IP ownership dispute that has now cost about $100 million dollars in settlements, and might still go higher.

There are a lot of stories of startups that went under because the 50/50 owners couldn't decide on a plan of action, or turned out to not own any of the IP that they thought they owned.


So pay us (lawyers) lots now or pay us more lots later.

Last time I heard an offer like that it was some italian americans commenting on how flammable a restaurant was


Pay us (doctors) for vaccinations or pay us more later for treatment?

Pay us (construction workers) for high quality materials now, or pay us later for repairs?

Pay us (clothing manufacturers) for high quality clothes now, or pay us again later when yours wear out?


If you think paperwork by lawyers is expensive, try funding a lawsuit.

Getting to a sellable and selling product/service requires creating IP, and probably half of his points were related to the creation and ownership of IP. It's also where the biggest and nastiest problems can arise down the track.

At the very minimum, before sitting down and designing your sellable product, draw up an agreement on the future of it. Spend a hundred buck on a lawyer to read through your agreement and advise you of any problems.




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