Steven is available for hire
Hire StevenSteven Mason
Verified Expert in Product Management
Product Manager
Location
Las Vegas, NV, United States
Toptal Member Since
September 7, 2019
Steven is a C-level startup, brand, and growth strategy expert (technology and CPG) with 30+ years of experience. He specializes in market differentiation, naming, messaging, positioning, intellectual property, crypto, and due diligence. A patent and IP strategy expert, he is also a patent broker as well as a named co-inventor on over 100 issued and multiple pending technology patents on digital privacy, medical devices, language processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more.
Project Highlights
Chief Intellectual Property Officer (Acting)
Successfully helped the client identify current and strategic patent portfolio needs, and oversaw the prosecution of patents.
Branded and Positioned a Commercial Construction Firm
Developed complete brand, messaging, look, and communications for a geographically-focused and industry-focused firm.
Marketed Software IP and Negotiated the Transaction
Took about-to-expire intellectual property from a distressed software firm, and sold it well above-market for millions.
Expertise
Work Experience
Advisor and Patent Strategist
2014 - PRESENT
Anonos
- Named a co-inventor on US Patent No. 9,087,215; US Patent No. 9,087,216; US Patent No. 9,129,133; US Patent No. 9,619,669; US Patent No. 9,631,481; and US Patent No. 10,043,035.
- Named a co-inventor on additional pending US and international patents.
- Consulted on other confidential matters pertaining to strategy, communication, and branding.
Patent Strategist, Patent Broker, and Inventor
2009 - PRESENT
Liquid Patents
- Acted as the chief intellectual property officer, serving as ideator and as interlocutor between C-level executives and patent counsel.
- Ideated, edited, and wrote patent specifications and claims.
- Functioned as co-head patent broker on multiple, confidential multi-million-dollar deals.
- Retained to consult on patent portfolio and claim strategy.
- Formulated strategy and responses to office actions from the USPTO.
- Named a co-inventor on over a dozen US and international patents and patents pending.
Brand, Product, and Market Strategist (CMO/CSO)
2001 - PRESENT
The Brand Mason
- Acted as the chief marketing officer and chief strategy officer on brand, digital, product marketing, feature prioritization, roadmapping and corporate strategy for startups, big data, naming, positioning/messaging, and go-to-market strategies.
- Worked in the following industries: cloud computing, application-defined networking (ADN), SLAs, cryptocurrency, fintech, enterprise software, organic food, car care products, forensic accounting, and medical devices with a focus on startups.
- Developed complete brand personalities for companies, products, and services. Created names, taglines, and messaging.
- Developed corporate strategies to launch new product lines and to provide product leadership. Executed creative marketing and PR campaigns. Wrote, edited, and reviewed business, marketing, and strategic plans for presentation to venture capitalists.
- Directed all marketing communications. Ensured consistent messaging across all media. Conducted media training; hired/managed outside design and PR firms; and served as corporate spokesperson.
- Provided creative direction and copywriting for packaging, labels, POP displays, video scripts, websites, print advertisements, brochures, and other corporate communications.
Chief Intellectual Property Officer
2010 - 2021
Self-Employed Confidential
- Oversaw development of an entire patent portfolio, using product strategy, competitive strategy, and more.
- Served as an interlocutor between company executives and patent attorneys.
- Worked as a sole inventor on over a dozen patent applications; co-inventor on others.
Project History
Chief Intellectual Property Officer (Acting)
Successfully helped the client identify current and strategic patent portfolio needs, and oversaw the prosecution of patents.
Functioned as a go-between, using my business and intellectual property knowledge to provide business insights to patent counsel while providing patent insights to executives. This closed the all-too-frequent communication gap between patent attorneys and business executives.
Key responsibilities included the following:
• Day-to-day monitoring of strategic portfolio assets
• Developing those assets through ideation in conjunction with engineers and attorneys
• Reviewing patent applications in their entirety
• Editing and writing core parts of specifications and contributing additional claims
• Helping to negotiate and/or settle disputes among various parties which had arisen previously
• Advising on naming and trademark matters
Key responsibilities included the following:
• Day-to-day monitoring of strategic portfolio assets
• Developing those assets through ideation in conjunction with engineers and attorneys
• Reviewing patent applications in their entirety
• Editing and writing core parts of specifications and contributing additional claims
• Helping to negotiate and/or settle disputes among various parties which had arisen previously
• Advising on naming and trademark matters
Branded and Positioned a Commercial Construction Firm
Developed complete brand, messaging, look, and communications for a geographically-focused and industry-focused firm.
The project was a challenge because commercial construction by itself is hard to differentiate. In this case, the geographic area was limited, but certain characteristics of the market (expanding rapidly, prevalent oil and gas entrepreneurs) were highly relevant.
The functional method of construction became very important, as I discovered that quality, build, and other assurances could not be achieved with processes used by competitive firms in the area. Last, the founder's specialization and personal background lent authenticity and credibility to the brand story, as well as extolling and exemplifying the company's values.
The functional method of construction became very important, as I discovered that quality, build, and other assurances could not be achieved with processes used by competitive firms in the area. Last, the founder's specialization and personal background lent authenticity and credibility to the brand story, as well as extolling and exemplifying the company's values.
Marketed Software IP and Negotiated the Transaction
Took about-to-expire intellectual property from a distressed software firm, and sold it well above-market for millions.
An extremely complex project that involved understanding storage, software and communication protocols at the link, network, and presentation levels of the ISO OSI model.
Contributions:
• Identified potentially infringing software, studied the technical details to put together detailed "claim charts" showing infringement
• Created detailed marketing documents making the technical, legal, and business case for acquisition
• Identified and pursued serious potential buyers
With a colleague, this led ultimately to the sale of the distressed assets for well over market value. A further complication was that the financial difficulties of the owning firm were so great that they were forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of our strategy to successfully sell the assets using a "Kodak" strategy (Kodak did the same thing). This required further court appearances for the benefit of our client, the hiring of additional counsel, and a number of complex negotiations with parties opposed to the sale.
Contributions:
• Identified potentially infringing software, studied the technical details to put together detailed "claim charts" showing infringement
• Created detailed marketing documents making the technical, legal, and business case for acquisition
• Identified and pursued serious potential buyers
With a colleague, this led ultimately to the sale of the distressed assets for well over market value. A further complication was that the financial difficulties of the owning firm were so great that they were forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of our strategy to successfully sell the assets using a "Kodak" strategy (Kodak did the same thing). This required further court appearances for the benefit of our client, the hiring of additional counsel, and a number of complex negotiations with parties opposed to the sale.
Education
1997 - 1999
Progress Towards a Master's Degree in Psychology
Harvard Extension School of Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA
1978 - 1982
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Tufts University - Medford, MA, USA