--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Patents? Disappointed? Don't think of it…" description: "\"Patents? Disappointed? Don't think of it that way. Software patents weren't feasible then so we chose not to risk $10,000.\" — Bob Frankston" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/bob-frankston-67478_disappointed_patents-disappointed-don-t-think-of-it-t_1186688.png" --- # Patents? Disappointed? Don't think of it that way… ![“Patents? Disappointed? Don't think of it that way. Software patents weren't feasible then so we chose not to risk $10,000.” quote by Bob Frankston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/bob-frankston-67478_disappointed_patents-disappointed-don-t-think-of-it-t_1186688.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/bob-frankston-67478_disappointed_patents-disappointed-don-t-think-of-it-t_1186688.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/bob-frankston-67478_disappointed_patents-disappointed-don-t-think-of-it-t_1186688.png) > “Patents? Disappointed? Don't think of it that way. Software patents weren't feasible then so we chose not to risk $10,000.” Bob Frankston ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing not to pursue risky software patents reflects pragmatic risk assessment and resource allocation. **In simple terms:** Avoid risky patents to protect resources. Key Takeaway Assess risk before investing. Themes risk management business strategy financial prudence Mood analytical pragmatic cautious Type advisory business When to use this quote - startup budgeting - technology development - legal planning Key Concepts Cost‑benefit analysis patent strategy Questions to Reflect On - When is a high‑risk investment justified? - How do you balance short‑term savings with long‑term gains? A Different Perspective Ignoring potential long‑term benefits of patents may limit innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disappointed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/) [Patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patents/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Software](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/software/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think software patents are a bad idea. Many patents are given for trivial inventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-think-software-patents-are-a-bad-idea-many-patents-are-given-for/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I named my software 'EMAIL,' (a term never used before in the English language), and I even received the first U.S. Copyright for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-named-my-software-email-a-term-never-used-before-in-the-english/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Software patents are dangerous to software developers because they impose monopolies on software ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/software-patents-are-dangerous-to-software-developers-because-they/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [With the rise of software patents, engineers coding new stuff - whether within a large software company or as kids writing smartphone apps -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/with-the-rise-of-software-patents-engineers-coding-new-stuff-whether/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [The software patent problem is not limited to Mono. Software patents affect everyone writing software today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-icaza/the-software-patent-problem-is-not-limited-to-mono-software-patents/) [Miguel de Icaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-icaza/) > [Software patents, in particular, are very ripe for abuse. The whole system encourages big corporations getting thousands and thousands of patents. Individuals almost never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/software-patents-in-particular-are-very-ripe-for-abuse-the-whole/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Except in very narrow cases, where there's breakthrough science that needs patent production, worrying about competitors is a waste of time. If you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/except-in-very-narrow-cases-where-there-s-breakthrough-science-that/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [We hear, "Oh, we need to patent GMOs and develop new strains and new chemicals because Nature can't provide what we need." I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/we-hear-oh-we-need-to-patent-gmos-and-develop-new-strains-and-new/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [An industry begins with the customer and his or her needs, not with a patent, a raw material, or a selling skill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-levitt/an-industry-begins-with-the-customer-and-his-or-her-needs-not-with-a/) [Theodore Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-levitt/) > [There are certain zip codes that generate a disproportionate share of patents, of startups, of wealth, of jobs. And it's really important if other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/there-are-certain-zip-codes-that-generate-a-disproportionate-share-of/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [... semantics ... is a sober and modest discipline which has no pretensions of being a universal patent-medicine for all the ills and diseases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-tarski/semantics-is-a-sober-and-modest-discipline-which-has-no-pretensions/) [Alfred Tarski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-tarski/) > [The idea that I can be presented with a problem, set out to logically solve it with the tools at hand, and wind up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carmack/the-idea-that-i-can-be-presented-with-a-problem-set-out-to-logically/) [John Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carmack/) > [There is a patent office at the seat of government of the universe, whose managers are as much interested in the dispersion of seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-a-patent-office-at-the-seat-of-government-of-the-universe/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More by Bob Frankston > [This is an important part of the Internet Dynamic - providing opportunity and not guarantees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frankston/this-is-an-important-part-of-the-internet-dynamic-providing/) Bob Frankston > [Early Apple machines -- don't know how to answer what it was like since there were so few tools. Just had to keep debugging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frankston/early-apple-machines-don-t-know-how-to-answer-what-it-was-like-since/) Bob Frankston > [Reusing pieces of code is like picking off sentences from other people's stories and trying to make a magazine article.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frankston/reusing-pieces-of-code-is-like-picking-off-sentences-from-other/) Bob Frankston Explore all 4 Bob Frankston quotes ## More Disappointed quotes > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I don't hate you, i m just disappointed you turned into everything you said you'd never be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-hate-you-i-m-just-disappointed-you-turned-into-everything-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every producer in Hollywood had set me down as a type. I was both amused and disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-lugosi/every-producer-in-hollywood-had-set-me-down-as-a-type-i-was-both/) [Bela Lugosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-lugosi/) > [I just hate meetings. Though it's true that once you've made a lot of money, people around you might be full of ideas about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-just-hate-meetings-though-it-s-true-that-once-you-ve-made-a-lot-of/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [You wanted to become a doctor to help people and feel better at the end of your job, I think, watching them, as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/you-wanted-to-become-a-doctor-to-help-people-and-feel-better-at-the/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [I've had to learn that not everybody does things my way. But I do expect the absolute best of everyone around me, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-johnson/i-ve-had-to-learn-that-not-everybody-does-things-my-way-but-i-do/) [Michael Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-johnson/) > [I am far from any intention to limit curiosity, or confine the labours of learning to arts of immediate and necessary use. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-am-far-from-any-intention-to-limit-curiosity-or-confine-the-labours/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I want violence. I want punching in the face. I'm disappointed in Trump supporters for not punching enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-want-violence-i-want-punching-in-the-face-i-m-disappointed-in-trump/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [It's core to my beliefs now: Sometimes in being given a challenge, you're actually being given a real opportunity, and a lot of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-graham/it-s-core-to-my-beliefs-now-sometimes-in-being-given-a-challenge-you/) [Lauren Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-graham/) > [Lamon, that speech won't scour. It is a flat failure and the people are disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/lamon-that-speech-won-t-scour-it-is-a-flat-failure-and-the-people-are/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Never aim to be proactive with your day. That way, if you end up getting stuff done, you’re never disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-blagden/never-aim-to-be-proactive-with-your-day-that-way-if-you-end-up/) [George Blagden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-blagden/) > [I am disappointed by this controversy surrounding A Million Little Pieces because I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-am-disappointed-by-this-controversy-surrounding-a-million-little/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [It is always the time of hope, confidence and love. Everything passes; love remains. We will not be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-maria-martini/it-is-always-the-time-of-hope-confidence-and-love-everything-passes/) Carlo Maria Martini [Browse all 1,145 Disappointed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Patents? Disappointed? Don't think of it that way. 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