Editor’s note: Trevor Schmidt of Hutchison PLLC has extensive experience in matters associated with intellectual property prosecution, licensing, enforcement and strategic counseling. He effectively works with companies to monetize and protect their IP through licensing, development, reseller agreements and associated contracts.

RALEIGH – Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing about the milestone moments of Triangle startups. The raises, the new hires, the big deals and the glamorous exits are all newsworthy, and I get to read them every day on WRAL TechWire and other news outlets here.

But those milestone moments can never paint the entire picture.

We at Hutchison know that a lot of work went into each of those glamorous moments. Through our day-to-day work with these companies, we get a fuller account of what went into each headline moment. Each new venture has a unique journey with twists, turns, highs and lows on its way to success, and we embrace the entrepreneurial spirit of new business leaders with big ideas.

These are the stories we want to share — the good and the bad, the glamorous and the grind. We hope that prospective entrepreneurs can get a glimpse of what being a founder is truly like, and that those in the thick of it can get ideas from those that have come before.

So, with the help of some willing guests, we’ve started the Founder Shares podcast to do just that. Whether you’re already an entrepreneur, have a business idea or are just fascinated by the stories of how a venture goes from a concept to a functioning company, this podcast is for you, and we’re kicking-off the show with two episodes on August 19.

Trevor Schmidt

From the first episode, you’ll learn that being a founder means taking risks.

“Every day is, you know, the razor’s edge between global domination and bankruptcy,” Karl Rectanus, co-founder and CEO of LearnPlatform, said. “The goal is to get more pats on the backs than punches in the gut on a daily basis.”

And with each “punch in the gut” story, there are lessons to be learned to keep you from making the same mistakes, like the insights shared by Abhi Lokesh, founder and CEO of Fracture.

“There’s a certain archetype of a business owner, or entrepreneurial archetype, that is lionized in the media,” Lokesh said. “It’s the Steve Jobs, kind of, swashbuckling entrepreneur who takes no prisoners, and I tried to be that, but it did not work. That just was not me, and it kind of failed miserably.”

We are excited to share stories of companies like LearnPlatform and Fracture, and other Triangle companies as well like Myxx and Medicom with the help of Earfluence (producers of other startup podcasts like The Startup Hats by David Gardner and Startup Stage). Earfluence, like Hutchison, is committed to helping entrepreneurs bring their businesses to the next level.

From Earfluence CEO Jason Gillikin, “Trevor came to us with the idea for a ‘How I Built This’ for the Triangle area, and I couldn’t have been more excited. Not only do we have so many amazing success stories here, but I wanted to hear the inside information of how it all happens. What are the struggles? What happened when it was all on the brink of collapse? And what advice would founders who have had some level of success advise to budding entrepreneurs? I’ve enjoyed listening to these, and I can’t wait to share!”

So, I hope you’ll tune in to our first episodes on August 19 and that they’ll help spark your entrepreneurial spirit. You can find Founder Shares on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts — wherever you like to listen, and the founders and I will look forward to talking to you soon!

Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and/or Twitter also!

Note: This blog content should not be construed as legal advice.