Talking, Thinking and Guiding

Many of you have heard me say that one of the main aspects of my job is directly engaging with the inventors. And I want to tell you the ways that I actually do that. I talk, I think, and then I guide. Here's what I mean….

Talking to Inventors

I often speak with the inventors to discuss the documents they've submitted where they summarize the background, give context, and detail the essence of their idea. If only due to finite budgets, not every submission is going to get approved for filing as a patent application, so sometimes these conversations can really be somewhat difficult, but that's okay. That's how we find out that we are in this together and that we are working toward a common goal of creating a network that enables people to act together.?

So whenever we discuss the difficult decision not to proceed with a filing, I always emphasize that the decision is not a rejection of the idea itself. Instead, the rejection simply means that right now, at this very moment, Nokia’s interest and emphasis is elsewhere and we are all choosing to proceed in a different direction. However, this move is not to be taken as a personal affront, but as a way to focus our priorities and control costs.?

Thinking on the Job

In my job, I have to think very deeply and with purpose. What I mean is I have to thoroughly digest every new technical idea that comes across my desk. This can involve deconstructing, breaking down, and walking backwards until I’ve boiled down the concept to its very basic nature.?

Then, from that baseline, I have to build the idea back up in an application while putting together a story, a narrative, so that it’s readily readable without sounding simplistic. Throughout this process, I round out each subtopic with a touch of legal terminology to maximize protection scope and ensure that our intentions are clear.?

In this way, I put myself into the shoes of the Examiner who will be reading the application, as well as, into the shoes of the potential jurors who may be analyzing any patent that results down the road.?

Guiding the Process

And, finally, I guide and collaborate. For example, I work very closely with outside counsel to develop a sound and substantively strong application from what is frequently a very complex and not easily digestible technical idea so that the application is understandable to the reader within a reasonably short amount of time be they an examiner, a judge, a juror, a competitor, or someone else entirely.?

In this great variety of ways, my new role at Nokia fully engages all my skill sets and challenges me to teach new professional heights. I work with the inventors, think through the idea, and then I guide the application through the process.

Do you think deeply at your job or task on a daily basis? What do you do to make sure your thinking is focused and purposeful? Please share in the comments.