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Any tips for someone considering a one-man start up? Is there a snowball's chance in heck that I can protect software IP or do I just have to accept I'm gonna get robbed blind / copied and be prepared to move on? Is it better to open source the software and profit by running it for them? Maybe run it for others until someone figures out how to make a copycat then open source mine to spite them once it becomes unprofitable?
Idk... I can't seem to find a job, but I don't truly know how to entrepreneur.
It really depends on the software and all of the surrounding factors. If you want to send me a direct message with a quick description of the software and your circumstances I'm happy to give you my thoughts. There aren't really "right" answers in this field, just different ways to achieve different goals.
To give you a few quick thoughts. Yes, software can be protectable by copyright or patent, but each I'll have different strengths and weaknesses. Open sourcing is pretty misunderstood generally. That said, it can definitely be the foundation for a successful business under the right circumstances. As for a one man start up, good luck. It sounds almost impossible to be honest. I don't think I truly know of any successful one man startups, but it depends on what success looks like to you.
As I said above, message me with more info and I'll do my best to provide some actually helpful tips.
Oh I can just tell you here. I don't have to go into detail on how I solved all the fundamental problems people think are unsolvable. Basically I'm really good a protein crystallography, so I'm making a script that can generate crystallization chaperones - i.e. things that make your protein crystallize. The software is pretty hard to code. From a publication perspective I don't have any competition because there aren't many people who are experts in protein crystallography and also good at both protein design and programming -- and then you add my many tricks to make it all work. The issue is just that after the first few structures are published people will figure out half my clever tricks to solve the problems. Then it's just a matter of time before someone else replicates it... unless it's slightly harder than I expect and it takes an additional trick then it's extremely unlikely anyone will ever get it.
Success is building up a personal research endowment without starving. I'm probably going to drain my current funds buying a van so that I'm not on the street if I can't find a job, but if I can make a little bit of money to not starve I can probably get the rest of the way in due time. Biotech startups can be pretty scrappy until we get to the implementation phases, but then I have no idea what happens.... Maybe just patent and license? Maybe I do need lawyers or collaborate with a university for their lawyers since I'll never be able to afford it. Idk.
If my project works exceptionally well I suppose it won't matter as I'll suddenly find it very easy to get a job in between collecting fancy prizes, but that's a bit optimistic.