Christopher Nelson

Helping You Build Wealth with Tech Equity and become the Founder of Your Financial Independence

In the early 2000s,  my focus was on growing my skills, climbing the ladder, and being where I needed to be to get the job done. 

In 2009, I burned out hard. 

My new plan was to work for equity in tech start-ups and become financially independent.

Swing and Miss, the first start-up company I chose to work for, was going nowhere (equity worth zero). 

What happened? Did I screw up everything?

I chose the company because I was passionate about its mission, but I had not examined it further. I had no real plan.

My next step was to call people that I knew had been successful in working for equity in tech and see what was different in their "playbook."

Key lessons learned after first dead-end tech startup:
 -In trading my time and talent for equity, I need to think like an investor
 -Create a rigorous due diligence process
 -Don't fear failure, stay in the game
 -Keep learning

May 2011, Started at Splunk Pre-IPO

April 19th, 2012 Splunk had a break-out IPO

April 20th, 2012 feelings of anxiety and fear creep in about how to manage the newly generated wealth. 

I had to figure out how to get real income (real estate) into my portfolio. I needed something sending me checks.

Key lessons learned after the first IPO:
 -How to invest in private equity real estate
 -Set up my family for generational wealth
 -Own the result (don't put my future in someone else's hands)

New Mission: Be the Founder of a Micro Family Office to become Financially Independent.

Strategy:
 -Live within paychecks
 -Bonuses for extras
 -Invest all of our equity

I climbed the ladder to become a CIO. 

At the peak, I realized I wanted to build my DIY Family Office more than climb the ladder.

I changed roles and reduced my scope. 

On August 26, 2022, I graduated from my W-2 job to live a lifestyle by design.

I founded WealthOps in 2023 to equip technology professionals with the skills to build and run their portfolios.

My Portfolio:
 -3  Start-Ups I worked for IPOed (SPLK, YEXT, GTLB) <-Traded Time
 -Replaced paycheck with $200k+ of portfolio income
 -Built my Micro Family Office
 -Running a company structured around my life

My Results:
 -Highly Diversified Portfolio - Stocks, PE Real Estate, Debt, Businesses, and VC. 
 -$223 Million AUM with investors
 -7 Investments  gone full cycle with an Avg 19.4% IRR to investors
 -1000+ tech employees being educated on Managing Tech Millions
 -20+  and growing Portfolio CEOs

My mission - 1000+ Portfolio CEOs

Learn more about how I did this, join our free live workshop  →  https://dub.sh/wealthops-linkedin

Founder

Tech Careers and Money { }, a media and education company whose mission is to elevate Tech Professionals' finance knowledge through unmatched and unbiased education in career and personal finance to equip them to make their best decisions. 


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We just crossed 100 members in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿.

But here's what matters more than the number.

100 entrepreneurs, physicians, and tech professionals who stopped being clients and started being CEOs of their wealth.

Most wealth management sells you dependency. 
Hire us. Trust us. Let "us" handle it.

We teach the opposite.

You already run complex operations. 
You make million-dollar decisions. 
You manage teams and P&Ls.

The skills you used to build wealth? 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩.

You don't need someone to do it for you. You need the frameworks specific to wealth operations.

That's the shift these 100 families made.

They're learning:

- The Evergreen Portfolio Model.
- Structured Alpha Strategies.
- Asset Protection Strategies.
- Family Office Operations.
- The Deduction Stack. 
- The Income Pyramid.
- Entity Architecture.
- Tax Optimization. 
- Deal Evaluation.

Not theory. Actual implementation.

Same rigor you'd bring to building a product. 
Same systematic thinking you'd apply to scaling a business.

Just applied to the thing that ACTUALLY compounds over generations.

The difference between a client and a Portfolio CEO? 
Clients delegate and hope. 
Portfolio CEOs architect and operate.

In a few days, I'm hosting a live workshop on how to architect your own Micro Family Office.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://dub.sh/mN0g8tK

Here's what attendees from last month's workshop said about it:

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.
- 𝘔𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰 𝘏.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥.
- 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘞.

𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰.
- 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘞.

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Tech Careers & Money Talk

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?💸

Join here 👉 techcareersandmoneytalk.com

Tweet Follow-up

Even Justin Welsh chimed in: https://twitter.com/thejustinwelsh/status/1628168298947919878?s=20

Post Follow Up

On the off chance you *do* want financial freedom — do these 11 things instead. 👇

- Ignore the above
- Buy back your time
- Start investing today
- Build a simple budget
- Learn personal finance
- Destroy credit card debt
- Work for equity AND salary
- Diversify w/ passive income
- Align your finances with goals
- Build a team of financial experts
- Join techcareersandmoneytalk.com

What did I miss?

50 - 50 Link

🧠 - Bonus Tip:  For Monday - Do A Brain Dump to Prevent Overwhelm 

Monday means mental overwhelm for Many. 

Objects in your head can be more stressful than they appear! 

Take piece of paper, 10 min and write down all the things you need to get done, work, life etc. 

Once you see them written down identify 3 things that have to get done today. 

Get to your base! 

TCMT Pod Page

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 + 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 👇

🎧 Tech Careers & Money Talk 💸

www.podpage.com/tech-careers-and-money-talk-1/

TC&MN

Elevate your tech career and personal finance savvy.    

https://www.techcareersandmoneynews.com

Anti-Goals

Steal my Blueprint

Update Process

Actionable tips for growing your career, building wealth and living a life of impact. 
Always 3 minutes or less.

https://www.techcareersandmoneynews.com/

Find Rest 

🧠 - Bonus Tip:  Your Momentum is Fuel for your Mentors.  As your mentor sees you taking their input and iterating, they will be excited and want to participate more.  

Momentum breeds momentum.   

Hindi Video

Want all the details?   

Check out my origin story here on Audio : https://bit.ly/cnoriginstory

Watch it on YouTube! : https://youtu.be/7Hw-Y2hDtF8


From Equity to Exit 

Momentum for Mentors

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tech-careers-and-money-talk

careercadre

I Run My Own Micro Family Office and Teach Others to Do the Same | Founder @ WealthOps

In 2012, I became a millionaire.

Three months later, I realized I had no idea what to do with the money.

I met with wealth advisors. Every single one gave me the same pitch:

"𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺. 𝘞𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘴."

- Zero customization. 
- Zero long-term strategy. 
- Just a cookie-cutter portfolio.

That's when I discovered the problem:

If you have $1M-$30M, you're stuck in what I call the financial service desert.

You're too wealthy for mass-market advisors.

But not wealthy enough for a traditional family office ($100M+ minimum).

So I spent years studying how ultra-wealthy families actually manage money.

And I built what I now call a 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲.

The result after 4.5 years:
→ Portfolio generating $200K+ of annual cashflow
→ Principal still growing (not selling any assets)
→ 10 hours/week managing everything
→ Full control over every decision

Here's what most people get wrong:

They think wealth management is about picking stocks.

It's not. (This stuff comes last)

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Here are the four-phases of every Micro Family Office:

𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 → Define your legacy and investment thesis
𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 → Create legal structures and assemble your team
𝗥𝘂𝗻 → Operate with monthly/quarterly rhythms
𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 → Transfer systems, not just assets

Look... if you're sitting on $1M+ and still treating your portfolio like a savings account, you're leaving money on the table.

Want to build your own Micro Family Office?

I'm running a free 2-hour workshop where I'll walk you through building the foundation - your Legacy Statement and Investment Thesis.

Over 1,000 people have attended so far.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://dub.sh/mN0g8tK

---

Here is what attendees from last months workshop said about it:

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

- 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿í𝗰𝗶𝗼 𝗛.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥.

- 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗪.

𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰.

- 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪.

Goldman Sachs just surveyed 245 families managing $1 billion+ portfolios.

Here's what they're doing while everyone else is paralyzed...

Despite big concerns, they're not sitting on cash.

They're executing.

The data tells a clear story:
→ 34%  are reducing cash positions
→ 39%  increasing private equity allocations
→ 38%  adding to their public equities
→ 26%  expanding private credit exposure

Here's what this actually means...

These families aren't reacting to headlines.

And the most important finding?

70% manage their investments in-house.

They're not outsourcing critical decisions to advisors.

They have clear investment theses.

They run quarterly reviews.

They make annual business plans for their portfolios.

This creates a playbook:
✓ Patient capital with decade+ time horizons
✓ Opportunistic deployment during dislocations
✓ Programmatic commitments regardless of sentiment
✓ Zero emotional reaction to geopolitical noise

The difference isn't wealth.

It's operational structure.

It's having systems that work when markets don't.

It's knowing what to do before you need to do it.

Most people with $1-30M don't have this.

They have... 
- Scattered accounts.
- Generic advice.
- No investment thesis.
- No operating rhythm.

The good news is this is fixable.

If you want to learn how to build these operational systems for your portfolio - the same frameworks these ultra-wealthy families use - I'm running a live workshop walking through the exact architecture.

Comment "WORKSHOP" and I'll send you the details.

Goldman Sachs surveyed 245 family offices managing $1B+ each.

Here's some takeaways from the data...

- 86% have AI exposure.
But here's what matters: 87% are also using AI to manage their portfolios. They're not just betting on the trend, they're operationalizing it in their own wealth mgmt.

- 72% are active in secondaries.
This isn't random. When there is liquidity pressure, family offices buy discounted assets. They have patient capital. No quarterly redemptions. No exit timelines forcing their hand.

- 33% now hold crypto (up from 26% in 2023).
Still a minority. Still selective but growing steadily. APAC shows the strongest interest - likely because they're most concerned about geopolitics (75%) and see digital assets as a hedge.

- 58% expect to be overweight tech in the next 12 months.
Despite market volatility. Despite valuation concerns. They're leaning INTO trends, not away from them.

Some regional differences...

- Americas: Highest PE allocation (25%) and increasing

- APAC: Most geopolitically concerned, highest crypto interest

- EMEA: New interest in hedge funds for sophisticated downside protection

If you want to learn how to build the operational structure these families use - adapted for $1-30M portfolios - I'm running a free workshop walking through the complete framework.

Tuesday, January 21st at 8:00pm ET.

Comment "WORKSHOP" and I'll send you the registration link.

Have over $10M in income? Your audit risk jumps to 8.8%. (𝟮𝟮𝘅 𝗮𝘃𝗴)

But here's what really caught my attention when I was digging through IRS data last week:

If you have over $20M in assets? 

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘀𝗸𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟴.𝟮%.

That's not a typo. Nearly 1 in 5 chance.

In 2024 alone there were $84.1 billion in penalties assessed.

Here's the thing most people don't realize:

The root cause of an IRS penalty often isn’t an error on your tax return.

It’s the byproduct of operating your wealth like a hobby, not a business.

- Improper entity structures. 
- Lack of documentation.
- Everything scattered.
- No routine systems.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮-𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

They run Family Offices with clear governance, documented strategies, and institutional-grade documentation.

But you don't need $100M to operate this way.

You just need the right framework.

And that's exactly what a Micro Family Office does.

It gives you the structure, systems, and documentation that transform your wealth from a compliance risk into a well-run operation.

Because when you operate your wealth like a business, you're not just protecting yourself.

You're building something that actually scales and can be passed down.

Ready to get organized and stop flying blind?

Join my free live workshop on Feb. 4th at 8:00pm ET where I'll walk you through how to build your own Micro Family Office.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://dub.sh/mN0g8tK

---

Here is what attendees from last months workshop said about it:

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

- 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿í𝗰𝗶𝗼 𝗛.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥.

- 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗪.

𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰.

- 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪.

You have to put $50,000 in one of these. Which are you picking?

Which of these metals do you think will have the biggest run up in 2026?

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

FALL IN LOVE...

with the process.

If you’re building something right now,
here’s the shift that changes everything:
Fall in love with the process, not the results.

Results are unpredictable.
They’re delayed.
They show up on their own timeline.

The process is what you live in every day.
Consistency isn’t about intensity.
It’s about showing up when it’s boring.
When it’s quiet.
When no one is watching or applauding.

Founders don’t burn out because they’re doing too much.
They burn out when all their hope is tied to an outcome
instead of the work itself.

When you love the process,
progress stops feeling fragile.
Missing a day doesn’t feel like failure...
it feels like life.
And you simply come back the next day.

Consistency compounds.
Small steps add up.
And over time, the work begins to shape you
as much as you shape it.

So if today feels slow,
if momentum feels distant,
if the results aren’t there yet...
stay.

Keep building.
Keep learning.
Keep becoming.

Fall in love with the process.
The results will meet you there. 💛

Founder Friday 💫

Some founders build with brilliance.
Some build with courage.
And every once in a while, you meet someone who builds with both brilliance and heart.

Rachel Buchanan is one of those people.

Rachel has been working in blockchain since 2017...long before trust, verification, and integrity became buzzwords or regulatory requirements. 

She didn’t wait for permission. She didn’t chase what was fashionable. She stayed true to what she knew mattered.

That clarity is why she’s now building IntegraLayer, focused on certificate integrity, verification, and trust. Not because it’s trendy. But because it’s necessary.

But here’s what I want people to really know about Rachel.
She is not just thoughtful and brilliant...she is kind.
She is steady.
She leads with integrity in how she builds and how she shows up for others.

That’s why it meant so much that she entrusted the protection of her intellectual property to me. That kind of trust is never taken lightly. 

I’m truly honored and so happy to welcome her as part of the moatly Crew™ 😊 .

And this moment is also a reminder of how meaningful real connections are.
Thank you to my beautiful friend, Bettina Briz, for introducing us, and to founders Kevin Jurovich and Timo Gehrke of Hubble, for introducing Bettina to me in the first place. 

The ripple effect Hubble creates through authentic human connection is genuinely life-changing. One introduction can change the entire trajectory of a founder’s journey.

Rachel, I’m cheering you on!! Not just as a founder, but as a human.
The world needs more builders like you.

#founderfriday #womenfounders #kindnessinleadership #trustbydesign #moatlycrew™ #moatly™ #hubble #buildingwithheart

One of the things I respect most about thoughtful investors
is when they’re honest about what they’re really looking for.
David Y.’s post is spot on.

At the very earliest stages, investors aren’t betting on a polished product.
They’re not betting on traction, revenue, or perfect data.
They’re betting on the person.

Because at pre-seed, almost everything is unfinished.
The product will change.
The strategy will evolve.
The plan will break...more than once.

What doesn’t change as easily is the founder’s ability to keep going
when nothing is guaranteed.

And here’s the part I love most:
The kind of “swagger” that actually matters isn’t loud.
It isn’t hype.
It isn’t performative confidence.

It’s quieter than that.
It’s the steadiness of someone who is aligned with a purpose bigger than their pitch deck.

Someone who, “treats the company as a vehicle, not an identity.”
Someone who keeps building when no one is clapping yet.

As a former patent examiner and now someone who works closely with founders, I see this same pattern over and over again.

The founders who endure aren’t the ones chasing validation.
They’re the ones making progress in silence.
Learning.
Adapting.
Following up with substance.
Showing up again after the fifth setback.

So if you’re a founder feeling discouraged by a slow response, a long diligence cycle, or a quiet room...
this may not be rejection.
It may be observation.

And sometimes, the most important thing you can do
is exactly what you’re already doing:
keep going.

That kind of inevitability?
It can’t be faked.
And the right people notice.

I’m a VC who hates most VCs. I live to help people identify and scale their gifts.

A pre-seed truth most founders miss:
Investors aren’t betting on your product or idea.

Our firm spoke with 10,000+ founders over the last 3 years.
We invested in 25 of them.

That’s <0.2%.

We’re not unique.
That ratio is normal at the pre-seed stage.

At pre-seed:
- The product is usually incomplete
- Revenue is often $0
- Data is thin or non-existent

So what are investors actually evaluating?
The founder.

More specifically?
Swagger.

Not pitch polish.
Not hype.
Not “founder energy.”

Pre-seed swagger is quieter.

It’s the strength that shows up when a founder is aligned with something bigger than the company...and treats the company as a vehicle, not an identity. 

At pre-seed, investors aren’t really asking:
- “Is this the best idea?”

They’re asking:
- “Is this person inevitable?”

Inevitable doesn’t mean certain.
It means disciplined enough to survive uncertainty.

BUT swagger doesn’t replace execution.
It signals who will still be executing after the first five failures.

And that's why good pre-seed investors take their time.

The delay isn’t always disinterest.
It’s often a test.

At pre-seed, we’re watching:
- Do you keep building without validation?
- Do you follow up with substance, not pressure?
- Do you show progress when no one is watching?
- Do you adapt… or just re-pitch?

What founders experience as “foot-dragging” is often pre-seed diligence in motion.

Early investing isn’t about moving fast.
It’s about identifying who keeps moving when nothing is guaranteed.

That’s who gets funded at pre-seed.
And that’s where real swagger comes from. 

---

If this resonates, Founder Chapel is where we unpack this kind of founder formation.

Link in the comments.

SKATEBOARDING THE WEEKEND AWAY

I hope you’re finding a little time this weekend to do something you love…
something that makes you smile, laugh, or feel a bit more you.

This video made me smile. 
Pure joy. Zero fear. Just going for it. 

And today, I’m dedicating it to Bettina Briz,
who has officially started learning how to skateboard.
New wheels. New courage. New joy.
And the most stylish fits, thanks to her personal stylist and amazing husband, Peter Himes.

There’s something really beautiful about trying something new...
not to be perfect at it,
not to impress anyone,
but simply because it feels fun and alive.

May this weekend bring you that same energy:
a little play, a little courage,
and the freedom to roll forward just because it makes your heart happy.

Happy Saturday, friends. Enjoy every moment. 💛

31-27 🐻 

"Good, better, best!
Never let it rest!
Till your good gets better,
And your better gets best!"

Not as pressure.
Not as perfection.
But as a reminder.

This isn’t just a post-game locker room chant. 
It’s something all of us can carry…whether we’re riding a wave of success or sitting quietly in a lull.

Because becoming doesn’t stop when things are going well.
And it doesn’t end when momentum slows.

Good means you’re here.
Better means you’re willing to grow.
Best isn’t a finish line…it’s a direction.

Some seasons are loud with wins.
Others are quiet with reflection.
Both matter.

And in both, the invitation is the same:
keep becoming.

Not by rushing.
Not by burning yourself out.
But by staying open.
By learning.
By choosing to show up again, exactly as you are…still caring, still trying.

Wherever you are right now…
celebrating or recalibrating…
this motto holds true.

Good. Better. Best.
A reminder that growth is ongoing,
and that we are never done becoming. 💛

“BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.”
 Said no founder ever, who got served a cease and desist.

In intellectual property, waiting to protect or rushing to market without diligence can permanently cost you ownership and the right to sell.

Imagine if, before you ever posted about your product…
Before you shared your deck…
Before you demoed your MVP…
Before you went to market…
Someone had said:
“Wait. What you are about to share could cost you ownership. And how you launch could determine whether you are even allowed to sell it.”

Most founders are doing exactly what they are encouraged to do.
Build in public.
Pitch early.
Move fast.

What they are not told is that public disclosures can quietly work against them and that a go to market strategy without proper due diligence can expose them to infringement risk before their first customer ever appears.

As a former United States Patent Examiner, I spent years deciding which inventions received patents and which did not. Today, I see founders lose leverage, ownership, and years of work simply because no one gave them this information at the right moment.

This spring, I am excited to mentor the inaugural Founder Institute Seattle cohort on all things IP. And ahead of the program I will be presenting a session for founders on:

 What actually counts as a public disclosure...
 When protection truly matters...
 How to go to market without infringing on others...
 What patent pending really means...
 What you can still do if you have already shared too much...

This is not about slowing founders down.
It is about keeping doors open.
Ownership intact.
And futures protected.

If you are building something that matters, you deserve to know this before it costs you everything.

Wednesday, February 25 at 11:00 AM PT
📍Virtual
Link to save your spot is in the comments.
Presented by Founder Institute Seattle 
Led by Nicole Doyle, Aniket Naravanekar, and Jewel Atuel. 

Founder Institute Seattle’s Spring 2026 Cohort launches April 22nd. 
📅 Applications are open now at fi.co/seattle 



✨ A special shout out to the incredible investors and founders who selflessly give their time, pour into others, and mentor with integrity, wisdom and last but not least, a kind heart: Bettina Briz Peter Himes David Y. Jason Butcher Kevin Jurovich Alexia Krispin ✨

DON'T WALK THE DESERT ALONE

I am resharing my friend Kevin Jurovich’s post because what he is building is truly invaluable for founders.

What he shares about those early days, learning on the go and wondering whether the struggle meant failure or growth, is a season so many founders live through quietly. It takes courage to speak about that part of the journey with honesty.

What stands out most to me is how he turned that experience into something generous. Instead of keeping those lessons to himself, he is creating space for founders to hear the truth behind building a company. The uncertainty. The doubt. The moments where continuing feels hard.

Founders Uncovered feels like an offering to the people still in it. A reminder that difficulty does not mean you are doing it wrong. Often it means you are doing something that matters.

By sharing real stories from people who have built before us, Kevin is helping founders feel less alone and more capable of staying in the work. That kind of encouragement can change everything.

So proud of you, Kevin. This is going to help a lot of people. Cannot wait for Season 1.

👉 Join the list for Episode 1. https://lnkd.in/gi2NaDMf

Co-founder, CEO at Hubble | Lifelong optimist

Back in 2019, I used to walk around SoMa in San Francisco listening to founder podcasts, trying to figure out if what I was feeling was failure…or just the process.

How I Built This, Masters of Scale, then later Lenny’s Podcast and My First Million. That was my founder education.

I was obsessed with learning from people who came before me.

Because when you’re in the desert as a founder...trying everything, hitting dead end after dead end, it helps to hear that the people you admire went through the exact same thing.

Behind every “overnight success” are years of doubt, false starts, and almost quitting.

That’s why I’m excited to announce the launch of Founders Uncovered.

I’ve teamed up with Drew Glover and Nick Madrid, CFA at Uncovered Media to host a podcast focused on the real stories behind building companies...the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable parts we usually skip.

There are so many incredible founders out there quietly changing the world. Their stories deserve to be told.

Season 1 drops next month. Our hope is that you walk away feeling educated, inspired, and a little more optimistic that you can get it done too.

One conversation can change everything.

👉 Join the list for Episode 1. I’ll send it the moment it drops.
https://lnkd.in/gi2NaDMf

Can’t wait to see more founders win. 🚀

#startups #entrepreneurship

THE DATE THAT GOT AWAY

Founders: if Teva can invalidate a patent over timing, so can anyone else.

One of the most important GTM/IP cases of the last decade came from a dispute between Teva Pharmaceuticals and Helsinn Healthcare...and it went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case is Helsinn v. Teva.  
Here’s why every founder heading into GTM should know it:
Helsinn had a promising drug.
Before filing its patent application, it entered into a confidential commercial deal related to that product.
 
Years later, when Helsinn tried to enforce its patent against Teva…
The Supreme Court said the patent was invalid.
Why?

Because commercial activity happened before the filing date.
It didn’t matter that:
the deal was confidential,
the invention wasn’t publicly explained, or
they acted in good faith.

What mattered was this:
👉 They went to market before they filed.

The founder lesson:
In the U.S., we are a first-to-file country.

That means:
talking about your innovation before filing can cost you ownership,
waiting to “see if it works” before filing is a legal risk, and
once rights are lost, you don’t get them back later.

This is why I tell founders heading into GTM:
File first.
Then pitch.
Then sell.

Because the fastest way to lose ownership of what you’re building…
…is to talk about it before you protect it.

Amazing initiative by David Y. to highlight founders and their stories...not just exits and milestones.

Real work. Real people. Real journeys.

If you’re building honestly, please apply and share your story!

Dear founders,

Quick proposition!

I’m curating 20 founders to feature in LinkedIn Legendaries, a newsletter read by 9000+ subscribers. We highlight entrepreneurs whose stories matter, not just their outcomes.

No hype.
No manufactured success narratives.

Just real founders doing meaningful work, navigating uncertainty, and learning in public (or quietly, but deeply).

If you’re building something honest and think your journey could help other founders, I’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply to be featured here (20 spots for 2026):
https://lnkd.in/gRdBhBB7 

Great stories deserve daylight. 

Yours truly,
David

David Y.’s post is spot on.

Stay tuned for deep dives on B2B sales and other essential founder topics in the amazing seminars Founder Chapel will be launching very soon.

Come join us: https://lnkd.in/eeaefgbD

B2B sales is where most founders flounder.
Not because they’re bad,
but because they’re new.

They’ve never sold to:
- committees
- political buyers
- people protecting their careers

So they default to:
- building more
- tweaking product
- waiting for “traction”

But B2B doesn’t reward patience.
It rewards understanding how buyers manage risk.

Founders should learn B2B sales.
Not to chase deals,
but to command bigger ones.

We’re launching seminars on this (and more!) at Founder Chapel. 
Come join us: https://lnkd.in/eeaefgbD

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The Battle

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