Researchers FAQ
Researcher FAQ
Straight answers for academics and scientists exploring commercialization — how the strategy generator works, where your TTO fits, and how to protect your patent position.
I'm a scientist, not a business person. Where do I start?
Start with the free GTM strategy generator: describe your research in plain language, and it returns a full commercialization strategy — the market opportunity, a recommended pathway, pricing guidance, and concrete next steps written for someone who has never done this before. You don't need to know what a TAM or a royalty stack is; the report explains its reasoning.
Do I need to involve my university's tech transfer office first?
If your research was done at a university, your TTO almost certainly has rights in the invention under your employment agreement, so they will need to be involved before any actual licensing or company formation. Using Commercify to understand the commercial landscape first is a good way to arrive at that conversation informed — many TTOs respond better to a researcher who comes in with market context than to a bare disclosure form.
What information do I need to generate a strategy?
A plain-language description of the technology (a few sentences to a few paragraphs), its development stage from concept through market-ready, the industry it belongs to, and optionally who you think the customer might be. That's it — the more specific the description, the more specific the strategy.
Will describing my invention online hurt my ability to patent it?
Patent-defeating 'public disclosure' comes from things like publications, conference talks, and posters — not from privately using a web tool. That said, the cautious practice is the right one: describe your work at the level of your published abstracts and leave out unpublished enabling details. And for anything patent-critical, talk to your TTO or a patent attorney — this is general information, not legal advice.
Should I license my technology or start a company around it?
It depends on the technology's capital requirements, how central you are to its development, the market's structure, and your own appetite for running a venture. Every generated strategy takes a position on this — licensing, spinout, partnership, or hybrid — with an explicit rationale and a description of when the alternative would be the better call, so you have a starting framework for the decision rather than a blank page.
My research is very early stage (TRL 2-3). Is a commercialization strategy premature?
No, but it looks different at that stage, and the generator calibrates for it: early-stage strategies emphasize translation milestones, de-risking experiments, and non-dilutive funding rather than sales motions. Knowing which market your research could serve shapes better grant narratives and research priorities years before a product exists.
Can it point me to funding for commercialization?
Yes. Each strategy includes a funding and resources section naming specific program types relevant to your technology and stage — SBIR/STTR, NSF I-Corps, university gap funds, and similar — and the site has a dedicated guide to navigating SBIR/STTR.
Is it really free? What's the catch?
The generator is genuinely free: you confirm your email, and the full report is emailed to you. The 'catch' is ordinary and transparent — Commercify offers deeper paid engagements, and some researchers who use the free tool go on to want that help. There's no subscription, no card, and the report is yours either way.
Still have questions?
The fastest way to understand Commercify is to generate a strategy for your own technology — it's free.