Chapter 8
What to Do When You’re Not on the Pyramid
Many people reading the original edition of Edison in the Boardroom commented that their company was not sufficiently intellectual property (IP)-sophisticated to reach even the hierarchy’s first level: Defensive. We call such companies IP-indifferent. These companies have decided (albeit often implicitly) that IP is not particularly important for them.
Over the subsequent years, companies below Level One have asked us to offer some thoughts about what their companies might do to move the organization onto at least the first pyramid level of IP management. For companies asking this question, we suggest they consider the following four questions:
1. How do I know whether my company is on the Edison Value Hierarchy?
2. Should my company even consider managing its IP in a manner consistent with that recommended by the Edison Value Hierarchy?
3. Is my company destroying value by not managing its IP?
4. What steps might I take to prepare my company for entry onto the Edison Hierarchy?
