In the dynamic landscape of technology, startups and inventors often rush to file patents or launch products before truly understanding market fit, feasibility, or IP risks. That’s where Strategic Discovery, a structured evaluation phase, plays a crucial role. At Go Vertical ICM, their “Innovation Overview” process embeds IP insight early on so that protection, commercialization, and risk management happen in parallel.

When M&H IP partners in or references Strategic Discovery, we help bridge the gap between innovation ideation and optimized intellectual property strategy. Below, we explain how these two frameworks complement each other, and why involving IP expertise in discovery is a competitive advantage.

What Is Strategic Discovery at Go Vertical ICM?

Go Vertical ICM’s Strategic Discovery (often termed “Innovation Overview”) is an expert-led, multidisciplinary assessment that helps inventors make validated “go / no-go” decisions before committing heavy resources.

Key evaluation dimensions include:

• Technical feasibility: Is the concept practically buildable?
• Market demand & product-market fit
• Intellectual Property (IP) landscapes & patentability
• Manufacturability & scale considerations
• Regulatory pathways & compliance

By integrating IP evaluation at this stage, the process surfaces potential blocking issues (such as existing prior art or narrow patent scope) and aligns innovation with prosecutable strategies from the outset.

Why M&H IP Believes in Embedding IP in Discovery

Too often, inventors wait until after prototyping or market validation to engage IP counsel. But by then, key design choices or public disclosures may have weakened their position. A discovery phase that includes IP insight empowers clients to:

• Avoid investing in non-patentable or weakly protectable designs
• Align technical paths with broad, defensible claims
• Clarify the commercial boundary of the solution before drafting patent applications
• Map out strategic decisions (e.g. geography, patent classes, licensing) earlier

At M&H IP, we see Strategic Discovery not as a luxury but as a risk mitigation framework—a forward-looking decision support mechanism.

Here is a visual concept you can use or adapt for your blog / webpage:

• A circular “step-wheel” or flow chart titled “Steps for Building Intellectual Property Strategy” (as shown above)
• Segments representing phases such as “Assessment & Landscape,” “Strategy Formulation,” “Operational Plan,” “Execution & Monitoring”
• Center labeled “IP Strategy” or “Core Intellectual Property”
• Use clean vectors, corporate colors (e.g. blue, green, gray), and icons (lightbulb, shield, document, globe)

If you like, I can create a custom mockup (SVG / PNG) matching your branding (colors, style) and send you files. Would you prefer I generate that for you?

How M&H IP & Go Vertical ICM Can Complement Each Other

Here’s how we envision a collaborative model:

Pre-Discovery IP Input

Before Go Vertical’s discovery intake, M&H IP conducts a Trademark Search and Clearance and a preliminary prior-art / patent landscape scan. This ensures the ideation process begins with clearer visibility into what’s already claimed.

Concurrent Discovery & IP Review

As Go Vertical’s multidisciplinary team analyzes technical feasibility and market data, M&H IP’s patent strategists progressively overlay:

 

• • Patentability assessments

Post-Discovery Roadmap

At the conclusion of Strategic Discovery, M&H IP delivers an Intellectual Property Strategy aligned to the product roadmap, including suggestions for Patent Application Support, IP Portfolio Management, and International IP Protection.

Ongoing Portfolio & Brand Protection

After the discovery phase, our services take over with Patent Portfolio Audits, IP Valuation Services, Trademark Monitoring Services, Brand Protection Solutions, and more, ensuring that innovation is not just built, but strategically protected and monetized.

Benefits of this Integrated Approach

Benefit	Description
Early risk identification	Prevents wasted investment on unprotectable technologies or crowded IP space
Tighter claim alignment	Claims can be shaped in light of engineering constraints and market context
Efficient spend & prioritization	Resources are allocated to highest-impact filings with global potential
Stronger licensing or investor narrative	A validated innovation + aligned IP strategy is a more compelling story
Seamless transitions	From discovery to filings, the handoff is smoother, and the strategy remains consistent

Suggested Use Case Narrative for Clients

Imagine a medical device startup with a novel sensor idea. Instead of rushing to prototypes, they start with Go Vertical ICM’s strategic discovery. During the discovery, M&H IP’s team flags that one proposed sensor module is likely blocked by existing patents in the U.S. but may be free in Europe. The team recommends a design pivot, aligning early with a stronger patent path. As a result, the startup avoids spending months on a flawed prototype, and emerges with a global IP strategy ready to file.

By combining the discovery rigor of Go Vertical with the IP depth of M&H IP, clients receive a guided path where innovation, protection, and commercialization are not afterthoughts but integrated from Day 0.

Disclaimer:

M&H IP provides intellectual property services, including but not limited to trademark search and clearance, patent strategy consulting, portfolio audits, IP valuation, and related advisory support. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal representation or binding legal advice. Where required, we contract or engage licensed, registered attorneys in the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom to perform legal functions such as formal filings, prosecution, litigation, or opinions in those jurisdictions. While this article references Go Vertical ICM and the process known as Strategic Discovery, any strategic suggestions or procedural descriptions are offered for general informational purposes only. They do not constitute legal advice or guarantee outcomes. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this blog. You should retain a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction to advise you on legal strategy tailored to your specific circumstances. M&H IP expressly disclaims liability for any actions taken based on this content or any errors or omissions herein.