00:00 – Intro
Bryan Schielke:
All right. Thanks, Doug.

You helped secure regulatory approval for wireless power in over 60 countries. What did you learn about navigating global regulatory systems that most tech leaders underestimate?

00:10 – Doug Stovall:
Yeah, that's a great question. So the first thing is just how long it takes. Nothing ever goes as fast as you want it to, particularly when you talk about regulatory approval. One of the biggest reasons is the sheer amount of technical paperwork, evidence, and data you have to submit.

When you're doing this across many countries and regulatory bodies, each one is different. On top of that, there’s a significant education component. You can’t force a deep, complex technology into the market. It takes early, frequent education, consistency, and clear demonstration that you meet each country’s regulatory guidelines. All of that is typically underestimated, and it almost always takes longer than expected.

01:11 – Bryan Schielke:
When you first step into a struggling or early-stage company, what signals tell you whether it can be transformed into a market leader?

01:17 – Doug Stovall:
The first thing I look for is pain. Are they solving a real problem for a specific group or niche? If customers feel that pain, that’s a strong signal.

The second major factor is the quality of the technical team. Strong technical foundations are critical because changing that talent later is very difficult. Business roles matter too, but they’re generally easier to adjust.

The third piece is the founders and the board. You need realistic partners who understand outcomes and can work collaboratively. Those three factors together tell me whether transformation is possible.

02:27 – Bryan Schielke:
At Ossia, you built the world’s largest wireless power IP portfolio. How do you cultivate an engineering culture that consistently produces patent-worthy innovation?

02:40 – Doug Stovall:
For me, it comes down to direction and permission. You give engineers clear direction on what you’re trying to accomplish, and then you give them permission to explore ideas and file patents.

Hardware and semiconductor companies tend to be better positioned for patents than pure software companies, but regardless, strong IP counsel—internal or external—is critical. They help guide the process and speed things up.

Incentives matter too. Bonuses tied to patent filings work. At the end of the day, money motivates.

04:03 – Bryan Schielke:
You’ve taken complex technologies and positioned them in ways that resonate with enterprise buyers. What’s your framework for translating deep tech into compelling commercial value?

04:17 – Doug Stovall:
It starts with naming the pain and quantifying the business impact. Buyers don’t care how the sausage is made—they care that it works and that it solves a real problem.

Once you define the pain and the impact, you explain how your technology uniquely solves it. Milestones, testing along the way, and operational outcomes help buyers see value, even if the technology is still pre-market.

05:14 – Bryan Schielke:
You’ve been a mentor and advisor at top accelerators. What’s the most common misconception founders have about scaling from prototype to commercial product?

05:24 – Doug Stovall:
Many founders believe that once the prototype works, the hard part is over. In reality, that’s when the real work begins.

Product-market fit, sales, marketing, and scaling the organization are far harder than building the initial technology. Technical founders often underestimate this and assume the market will naturally adopt the product. That’s rarely how it works.

06:26 – Bryan Schielke:
What advice do you give CEOs about managing investor expectations without losing sight of long-term innovation?

06:36 – Doug Stovall:
I recommend running two parallel roadmaps: a value creation roadmap and an innovation roadmap.

Investors care deeply about value creation—milestones, revenue, users, and growth. Teams and customers care about innovation. You can run both in parallel and merge them when appropriate.

Different investors respond to different information. Financial investors often glaze over detailed innovation roadmaps, but they engage deeply with value creation metrics. Being intentional about which roadmap you use—and when—is key.

08:14 – Closing
Bryan Schielke:
Well, Doug, that’s it for the questions. I really appreciate you being here.

Doug Stovall:
That was painless. Thank you so much.