I came away from IP Week with a lot to think about — and more importantly, with a very clear plan.
Some of the sessions were genuinely insightful, and I appreciated how IPOS facilitated 1:1 networking. Those private conversations gave me far more clarity than any panel could, especially in a field as technical and layered as IP strategy.
But here’s the thing.
While the event was framed as being about intellectual property across sectors, the spotlight was firmly on tech. The side events covering creative IP — publishing, design, media — were tucked away in corners of the exhibition hall, where crowd noise often drowned out the panelists. Worse still, IP in business operations, education, and service models was almost entirely absent.
From where I sit, that was a missed opportunity. Many of the most powerful IP opportunities today aren’t technological. They’re strategic. They’re systemic. They’re sitting inside SMEs, trapped in a cycle of “time-for-money” services, simply because no one has helped them recognise or unlock what they already have.
I’ve been thinking about this deeply over the past few months. I already teach a master’s-level course on The Business of Publishing at NTU. And in the past, I’ve even been commissioned to develop IP strategy training for publishers. So I went into IP Week with a solid foundation.
And still, it took me a while to see a clear, executable path for my own business.
Now that I’ve mapped it out, I can’t unsee it. And I can’t stop thinking about how much harder it must be for founders and creators who don’t have that base-level IP knowledge.
📦 From Services to IP Strategy
IP Week helped clarify something I’ve known for a long time: the future of sustainable business isn’t just about offering services — it’s about designing and deploying smart IP.
My team and I are now shifting fully into execution mode. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out a new diagnostic tool to help founders assess their IP readiness — no tech patents required.
This is for anyone who believes their ideas could live a bigger life — one that scales, licenses, educates, or builds on itself long after they’ve stepped away.
If you’re building a framework, a methodology, a unique process, a character universe, or a repeatable transformation — that’s IP.
And chances are, no one’s ever helped you recognise it that way.
🚧 What’s Next
We’ll be sharing more about this rollout soon — including:
how to assess where your IP is hiding,
how to move from invisible expertise to structured frameworks,
and how to monetise your IP without selling your time.
It’s been a long time coming. But I left IP Week knowing this: the next phase for TL Global Insights starts now.
©2025 Shelly Bryant