Brett Willms

Laetro

CEO, Co-Founder

Indeed.com

Developed Indeed.com/Lead and Indeed Work Happiness Score.

VP Marketing, Experience

Google

Director of Marketing, Google Fiber

Bitty, Inc.

Bitty automatically builds mobile websites for small businesses using information and assets  available across the web.

Co Founder

Gusto (formerly ZenPayroll)

Named Gusto.com. Built the Brand. Developed core marketing engine incl. Gusto for Accountants.

CMO, Growth

Leads strategy, brand, customer acquisition and retention programs for Google Ads & suite of small business products.

Director of Small Business Marketing, Americas

Leads strategy, program development and operations of digital performance marketing / new customer acquisition for Google Ads & suite of small business products.

Director of Digital Customer Acquisition, Small Business (O-Force)

Country Marketing Manager, Canada

Let's get creative with AI.

I've been creating things, every minute of every day, ever since my mom turned around in the front seat of the car and said, "Let's play a game". She explained, "Every time you notice something neat in the world, notice what's missing. Notice how things could be even better. Imagine what you would create if you could create anything, and we'll daydream about it together. This is inventing." I fell in love with inventing at that moment, and have never stopped.

Malcolm Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. I've been inventing deliberately, non-stop, for over 40 years. I have thousands of inventions and have brought hundreds to the world: a collaborative online market research platform that's still around today, Canada's first performance advertising network, a machine that makes websites in 10 minutes, Google's (and Gusto's) approach to customer acquisition, and Google Partners – Google's largest money-making marketing program ever, now generating billions annually.

Above all, I love inventing ways to help others flourish. Like the Indeed Happiness Score – a program we created at Indeed to help people be happier at work, and let everyone know where all of us are actually happiest working.

What would make you happiest at work?

For me, it's having the freedom to create. And in today's AI revolution, I see an unprecedented opportunity to give everyone that same freedom.

So, I'm building Laetro AI. The all-creative AI platform transforming how brands produce marketing assets. By orchestrating the latest state-of-the-art creative AI models, we enable marketers to generate their entire suite of marketing materials faster and more efficiently than ever before, while maintaining their unique brand style and tone.

What makes us different is our commitment to both creativity and fairness. We've built an ecosystem where professional creatives are compensated for contributing their unique styles to our AI system, creating a library of authentic, ethically-sourced creative approaches. Brands can either tap into these curated styles or develop their own unique AI style, ensuring their marketing materials remain distinctively theirs.

All with no quality compromises, just pure creative potential realized.

Whether you're a brand looking to revolutionize your creative process or an innovator excited about the future of AI-powered creativity, I'd love to connect. Let's explore how we can make the creative process more efficient, more inspiring, and more human together.

Let's ride!

The new way for brands to get Creative.

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

FALL IN LOVE...

with the process.

If you’re building something right now,
here’s the shift that changes everything:
Fall in love with the process, not the results.

Results are unpredictable.
They’re delayed.
They show up on their own timeline.

The process is what you live in every day.
Consistency isn’t about intensity.
It’s about showing up when it’s boring.
When it’s quiet.
When no one is watching or applauding.

Founders don’t burn out because they’re doing too much.
They burn out when all their hope is tied to an outcome
instead of the work itself.

When you love the process,
progress stops feeling fragile.
Missing a day doesn’t feel like failure...
it feels like life.
And you simply come back the next day.

Consistency compounds.
Small steps add up.
And over time, the work begins to shape you
as much as you shape it.

So if today feels slow,
if momentum feels distant,
if the results aren’t there yet...
stay.

Keep building.
Keep learning.
Keep becoming.

Fall in love with the process.
The results will meet you there. 💛

Founder Friday 💫

Some founders build with brilliance.
Some build with courage.
And every once in a while, you meet someone who builds with both brilliance and heart.

Rachel Buchanan is one of those people.

Rachel has been working in blockchain since 2017...long before trust, verification, and integrity became buzzwords or regulatory requirements. 

She didn’t wait for permission. She didn’t chase what was fashionable. She stayed true to what she knew mattered.

That clarity is why she’s now building IntegraLayer, focused on certificate integrity, verification, and trust. Not because it’s trendy. But because it’s necessary.

But here’s what I want people to really know about Rachel.
She is not just thoughtful and brilliant...she is kind.
She is steady.
She leads with integrity in how she builds and how she shows up for others.

That’s why it meant so much that she entrusted the protection of her intellectual property to me. That kind of trust is never taken lightly. 

I’m truly honored and so happy to welcome her as part of the moatly Crew™ 😊 .

And this moment is also a reminder of how meaningful real connections are.
Thank you to my beautiful friend, Bettina Briz, for introducing us, and to founders Kevin Jurovich and Timo Gehrke of Hubble, for introducing Bettina to me in the first place. 

The ripple effect Hubble creates through authentic human connection is genuinely life-changing. One introduction can change the entire trajectory of a founder’s journey.

Rachel, I’m cheering you on!! Not just as a founder, but as a human.
The world needs more builders like you.

#founderfriday #womenfounders #kindnessinleadership #trustbydesign #moatlycrew™ #moatly™ #hubble #buildingwithheart

One of the things I respect most about thoughtful investors
is when they’re honest about what they’re really looking for.
David Y.’s post is spot on.

At the very earliest stages, investors aren’t betting on a polished product.
They’re not betting on traction, revenue, or perfect data.
They’re betting on the person.

Because at pre-seed, almost everything is unfinished.
The product will change.
The strategy will evolve.
The plan will break...more than once.

What doesn’t change as easily is the founder’s ability to keep going
when nothing is guaranteed.

And here’s the part I love most:
The kind of “swagger” that actually matters isn’t loud.
It isn’t hype.
It isn’t performative confidence.

It’s quieter than that.
It’s the steadiness of someone who is aligned with a purpose bigger than their pitch deck.

Someone who, “treats the company as a vehicle, not an identity.”
Someone who keeps building when no one is clapping yet.

As a former patent examiner and now someone who works closely with founders, I see this same pattern over and over again.

The founders who endure aren’t the ones chasing validation.
They’re the ones making progress in silence.
Learning.
Adapting.
Following up with substance.
Showing up again after the fifth setback.

So if you’re a founder feeling discouraged by a slow response, a long diligence cycle, or a quiet room...
this may not be rejection.
It may be observation.

And sometimes, the most important thing you can do
is exactly what you’re already doing:
keep going.

That kind of inevitability?
It can’t be faked.
And the right people notice.

I’m a VC who hates most VCs. I live to help people identify and scale their gifts.

A pre-seed truth most founders miss:
Investors aren’t betting on your product or idea.

Our firm spoke with 10,000+ founders over the last 3 years.
We invested in 25 of them.

That’s <0.2%.

We’re not unique.
That ratio is normal at the pre-seed stage.

At pre-seed:
- The product is usually incomplete
- Revenue is often $0
- Data is thin or non-existent

So what are investors actually evaluating?
The founder.

More specifically?
Swagger.

Not pitch polish.
Not hype.
Not “founder energy.”

Pre-seed swagger is quieter.

It’s the strength that shows up when a founder is aligned with something bigger than the company...and treats the company as a vehicle, not an identity. 

At pre-seed, investors aren’t really asking:
- “Is this the best idea?”

They’re asking:
- “Is this person inevitable?”

Inevitable doesn’t mean certain.
It means disciplined enough to survive uncertainty.

BUT swagger doesn’t replace execution.
It signals who will still be executing after the first five failures.

And that's why good pre-seed investors take their time.

The delay isn’t always disinterest.
It’s often a test.

At pre-seed, we’re watching:
- Do you keep building without validation?
- Do you follow up with substance, not pressure?
- Do you show progress when no one is watching?
- Do you adapt… or just re-pitch?

What founders experience as “foot-dragging” is often pre-seed diligence in motion.

Early investing isn’t about moving fast.
It’s about identifying who keeps moving when nothing is guaranteed.

That’s who gets funded at pre-seed.
And that’s where real swagger comes from. 

---

If this resonates, Founder Chapel is where we unpack this kind of founder formation.

Link in the comments.

SKATEBOARDING THE WEEKEND AWAY

I hope you’re finding a little time this weekend to do something you love…
something that makes you smile, laugh, or feel a bit more you.

This video made me smile. 
Pure joy. Zero fear. Just going for it. 

And today, I’m dedicating it to Bettina Briz,
who has officially started learning how to skateboard.
New wheels. New courage. New joy.
And the most stylish fits, thanks to her personal stylist and amazing husband, Peter Himes.

There’s something really beautiful about trying something new...
not to be perfect at it,
not to impress anyone,
but simply because it feels fun and alive.

May this weekend bring you that same energy:
a little play, a little courage,
and the freedom to roll forward just because it makes your heart happy.

Happy Saturday, friends. Enjoy every moment. 💛

31-27 🐻 

"Good, better, best!
Never let it rest!
Till your good gets better,
And your better gets best!"

Not as pressure.
Not as perfection.
But as a reminder.

This isn’t just a post-game locker room chant. 
It’s something all of us can carry…whether we’re riding a wave of success or sitting quietly in a lull.

Because becoming doesn’t stop when things are going well.
And it doesn’t end when momentum slows.

Good means you’re here.
Better means you’re willing to grow.
Best isn’t a finish line…it’s a direction.

Some seasons are loud with wins.
Others are quiet with reflection.
Both matter.

And in both, the invitation is the same:
keep becoming.

Not by rushing.
Not by burning yourself out.
But by staying open.
By learning.
By choosing to show up again, exactly as you are…still caring, still trying.

Wherever you are right now…
celebrating or recalibrating…
this motto holds true.

Good. Better. Best.
A reminder that growth is ongoing,
and that we are never done becoming. 💛

“BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.”
 Said no founder ever, who got served a cease and desist.

In intellectual property, waiting to protect or rushing to market without diligence can permanently cost you ownership and the right to sell.

Imagine if, before you ever posted about your product…
Before you shared your deck…
Before you demoed your MVP…
Before you went to market…
Someone had said:
“Wait. What you are about to share could cost you ownership. And how you launch could determine whether you are even allowed to sell it.”

Most founders are doing exactly what they are encouraged to do.
Build in public.
Pitch early.
Move fast.

What they are not told is that public disclosures can quietly work against them and that a go to market strategy without proper due diligence can expose them to infringement risk before their first customer ever appears.

As a former United States Patent Examiner, I spent years deciding which inventions received patents and which did not. Today, I see founders lose leverage, ownership, and years of work simply because no one gave them this information at the right moment.

This spring, I am excited to mentor the inaugural Founder Institute Seattle cohort on all things IP. And ahead of the program I will be presenting a session for founders on:

 What actually counts as a public disclosure...
 When protection truly matters...
 How to go to market without infringing on others...
 What patent pending really means...
 What you can still do if you have already shared too much...

This is not about slowing founders down.
It is about keeping doors open.
Ownership intact.
And futures protected.

If you are building something that matters, you deserve to know this before it costs you everything.

Wednesday, February 25 at 11:00 AM PT
📍Virtual
Link to save your spot is in the comments.
Presented by Founder Institute Seattle 
Led by Nicole Doyle, Aniket Naravanekar, and Jewel Atuel. 

Founder Institute Seattle’s Spring 2026 Cohort launches April 22nd. 
📅 Applications are open now at fi.co/seattle 



✨ A special shout out to the incredible investors and founders who selflessly give their time, pour into others, and mentor with integrity, wisdom and last but not least, a kind heart: Bettina Briz Peter Himes David Y. Jason Butcher Kevin Jurovich Alexia Krispin ✨

DON'T WALK THE DESERT ALONE

I am resharing my friend Kevin Jurovich’s post because what he is building is truly invaluable for founders.

What he shares about those early days, learning on the go and wondering whether the struggle meant failure or growth, is a season so many founders live through quietly. It takes courage to speak about that part of the journey with honesty.

What stands out most to me is how he turned that experience into something generous. Instead of keeping those lessons to himself, he is creating space for founders to hear the truth behind building a company. The uncertainty. The doubt. The moments where continuing feels hard.

Founders Uncovered feels like an offering to the people still in it. A reminder that difficulty does not mean you are doing it wrong. Often it means you are doing something that matters.

By sharing real stories from people who have built before us, Kevin is helping founders feel less alone and more capable of staying in the work. That kind of encouragement can change everything.

So proud of you, Kevin. This is going to help a lot of people. Cannot wait for Season 1.

👉 Join the list for Episode 1. https://lnkd.in/gi2NaDMf

Co-founder, CEO at Hubble | Lifelong optimist

Back in 2019, I used to walk around SoMa in San Francisco listening to founder podcasts, trying to figure out if what I was feeling was failure…or just the process.

How I Built This, Masters of Scale, then later Lenny’s Podcast and My First Million. That was my founder education.

I was obsessed with learning from people who came before me.

Because when you’re in the desert as a founder...trying everything, hitting dead end after dead end, it helps to hear that the people you admire went through the exact same thing.

Behind every “overnight success” are years of doubt, false starts, and almost quitting.

That’s why I’m excited to announce the launch of Founders Uncovered.

I’ve teamed up with Drew Glover and Nick Madrid, CFA at Uncovered Media to host a podcast focused on the real stories behind building companies...the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable parts we usually skip.

There are so many incredible founders out there quietly changing the world. Their stories deserve to be told.

Season 1 drops next month. Our hope is that you walk away feeling educated, inspired, and a little more optimistic that you can get it done too.

One conversation can change everything.

👉 Join the list for Episode 1. I’ll send it the moment it drops.
https://lnkd.in/gi2NaDMf

Can’t wait to see more founders win. 🚀

#startups #entrepreneurship

THE DATE THAT GOT AWAY

Founders: if Teva can invalidate a patent over timing, so can anyone else.

One of the most important GTM/IP cases of the last decade came from a dispute between Teva Pharmaceuticals and Helsinn Healthcare...and it went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case is Helsinn v. Teva.  
Here’s why every founder heading into GTM should know it:
Helsinn had a promising drug.
Before filing its patent application, it entered into a confidential commercial deal related to that product.
 
Years later, when Helsinn tried to enforce its patent against Teva…
The Supreme Court said the patent was invalid.
Why?

Because commercial activity happened before the filing date.
It didn’t matter that:
the deal was confidential,
the invention wasn’t publicly explained, or
they acted in good faith.

What mattered was this:
👉 They went to market before they filed.

The founder lesson:
In the U.S., we are a first-to-file country.

That means:
talking about your innovation before filing can cost you ownership,
waiting to “see if it works” before filing is a legal risk, and
once rights are lost, you don’t get them back later.

This is why I tell founders heading into GTM:
File first.
Then pitch.
Then sell.

Because the fastest way to lose ownership of what you’re building…
…is to talk about it before you protect it.

Amazing initiative by David Y. to highlight founders and their stories...not just exits and milestones.

Real work. Real people. Real journeys.

If you’re building honestly, please apply and share your story!

Dear founders,

Quick proposition!

I’m curating 20 founders to feature in LinkedIn Legendaries, a newsletter read by 9000+ subscribers. We highlight entrepreneurs whose stories matter, not just their outcomes.

No hype.
No manufactured success narratives.

Just real founders doing meaningful work, navigating uncertainty, and learning in public (or quietly, but deeply).

If you’re building something honest and think your journey could help other founders, I’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply to be featured here (20 spots for 2026):
https://lnkd.in/gRdBhBB7 

Great stories deserve daylight. 

Yours truly,
David

David Y.’s post is spot on.

Stay tuned for deep dives on B2B sales and other essential founder topics in the amazing seminars Founder Chapel will be launching very soon.

Come join us: https://lnkd.in/eeaefgbD

B2B sales is where most founders flounder.
Not because they’re bad,
but because they’re new.

They’ve never sold to:
- committees
- political buyers
- people protecting their careers

So they default to:
- building more
- tweaking product
- waiting for “traction”

But B2B doesn’t reward patience.
It rewards understanding how buyers manage risk.

Founders should learn B2B sales.
Not to chase deals,
but to command bigger ones.

We’re launching seminars on this (and more!) at Founder Chapel. 
Come join us: https://lnkd.in/eeaefgbD

taplio

The Battle

Brett Willms

Kathryn V.

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taplio

The Battle

Brett Willms

Kathryn V.

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kathryn V.'s LinkedIn Performance

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