Sun Tzu or Shady?

We’re entering into a space with a very disruptive product.

A competitor offers large rewards ($10k+) for solving single instances of the problem which our product does largely automatically.

Can we collect these rewards, and leverage them instead of a next round of funding?

This, of course, is using our enemy’s strengths against them to strengthen us.

Is it right? Legal?

Any other thoughts?

Are you sure you’re not just helping your competitor? The fact that they offer this reward surely means that they profit much more than $10k for every instance of the solution they get.

Other than that…

If you weren’t competing, there would be nothing shady about automating a solution to a problem someone is paying you for solving, and I can’t see any reason why the fact that you are competing matters.

Anonymous says:

August 30, 2015 at 8:10 pm

Thanks for this perspective.

Reply

Find out why they are paying rewards for this solution. If it’s that important that means there is a market for your work (even if it’s automated) and that’s a big part of your business plan/revenue model. Don’t give it away for cash…. Leverage it for future fund raising rounds!

Anonymous says:

September 2, 2015 at 3:43 pm

Thank you.

Reply

I would say use your automated solution, but I would feel bad about High Frequency Resolution. Furthermore, if you make it obvious, they’re going to figure it out. Then there will be a legal battle.

Sun Tzu would be not underestmating your enemy. And winning the war without ever going to battle.