Substitute business success for genius and this familiar aphorism applies with even greater force. When it comes to IP, the strategizing part is the 1% and the rest is implementation. But, after a seemingly sensible strategy has been put into place, corporate grandees may be tempted to pat themselves on the back and bow out, leaving the details to trusted vassals. It is not overstating matters to say this will probably doom the strategy – not only because 99% of the journey lies ahead, but because only through implementation can the strategy itself become refined and respond to ever-changing business circumstances.

Dialog is the current that drives this feedback loop. Central to effective decision-making in any enterprise, dialog means engagement rather than one group listening to its own voice. All key constituencies – upper management, marketing, and technical – must participate. In ways that make sense, of course: upper management need not get mired in the minutiae, nor should the hands-on IP administrators make all the decisions. How to tether the different players together and orchestrate their efforts into an integrated process is what implementation, and this chapter, are all about.