Five minutes with… Harish Daiya, Lumenci

Welcome to the latest instalment of Managing IP’s ‘Five minutes with’ series, where we learn more about IP practitioners on a personal as well as a professional level. This time we have Harish Daiya, chief executive officer of Lumenci based in Austin, Texas.

Great question! I’d say that I monetise innovation. That’s my short answer. If there’s a follow-up, I provide more details.

My day typically starts between 8:00 and 8:30am, and because I work with global teams across different time zones, my schedule is carefully structured.

• Morning: I focus on leadership discussions and strategic planning. Since I have teams in both the US and India, my mornings are spent aligning with leadership on key priorities.

• Afternoon: These are packed with client meetings, internal reviews, or board discussions. On some days, I also have lunch meetings (1-2 per week) to build relationships with partners, investors, or key stakeholders.

• Evening: I dedicate 2-3 hours to deep work on strategic projects that require intense focus. This could be refining our M&A strategy, optimising our expert witness programme, or enhancing automation in patent monetisation.

• Late night: Occasionally, I have calls with my India team between 10pm and 12am, though I am working on reducing those to improve work-life balance.

I also fit in two to four coffee meetings per week to exchange ideas, build networks, and stay updated on industry trends.

Right now, my focus is spread across three major strategic initiatives.

1. Building an expert witness programme – We are expanding our technical and damages expert witness services to support IP litigation cases. This involves recruiting top industry experts, streamlining engagement processes, and ensuring we provide high-value litigation support.

2. Automating patent monetisation – Our goal is to automate and optimise how we analyse, package, and monetise patent assets. By leveraging technology, we can scale our operations, improve efficiency, and deliver greater value to clients.

3. Developing an M&A strategy for growth – We aim to make Lumenci a turnkey solution provider in the IP space. Imagine a funnel where companies bring in legal assets on one end, and on the other side, we generate value through strategic execution. To achieve this, we are not just growing organically but also looking at acquisitions that can strengthen our capabilities.

Additionally, I spend time on client interactions, sales pipeline expansion, and ensuring alignment with our long-term business vision.

I’m always juggling multiple things at once, but everything ties into Lumenci’s broader strategic goals. While different projects may require varying levels of attention at different times, they are all interconnected.

The sheer opportunity in the IP space excites me every day. We are building a category-defining company with a big vision, and every step towards that vision is thrilling.

There isn’t anything specifically stressful, but challenges arise when trying to bring change and accomplish goals in an evolving industry. The most demanding aspect is the constant need to innovate and adapt.

Since we are doing something different and disruptive, we regularly face challenges. Challenges can include educating innovative companies’ founders/CEOs on the value of IP, which requires a couple of iterations and sometimes meetings with the board of the company, and managing cross-border customers, teams, and time zones.

However, I don’t see these as stressors but as opportunities to grow and refine our approach.

The most important quality is keeping the customer first. Successful practitioners:

• Understand the client's needs deeply and work backward to create solutions;

• Think strategically rather than just reactively – IP is about seeing the big picture and aligning it with business objectives;

• Continuously adapt to the changing legal and technological landscape;

• Be persistent and detail-oriented, as IP law and monetisation require precision and patience.

That it cannot be monetised.

I draw inspiration from visionary leaders and entrepreneurs who have challenged conventional wisdom and built something from nothing.

One book that shaped my thinking is ‘Zero to One’ by Peter Thiel. It emphasises the importance of contrarian thinking and creating entirely new markets rather than competing in existing and crowded ones.

I’m particularly inspired by gritty founders who take on seemingly impossible challenges and turn them into massive successes. Seeing David beat Goliath is what fuels my motivation.

I would still be an entrepreneur, building something new. I’ve started and failed at multiple companies, so if not IP, I’d be working in another industry, but still creating something.

"It all works out." Sometimes, we overthink or stress about things that, in hindsight, were just small bumps in the road.

A mentor once told me: "Don’t vibrate, displace." Meaning, don’t just be busy — focus on making a real impact.

Also, patience and persistence pay off. The journey is long, but consistency wins in the end.

Whatever you do, do it without fear or judgment and give it your 100%.