In this episode of the PatentHacks Podcast, I sit down with Zach Gentry, co-founder and CEO of ConcertVDC, to dig into how real innovation happens when you’re building in the physical world, and why intellectual property strategy can’t be an afterthought. Zach’s path into entrepreneurship is anything but traditional (finance → business school → deep tech), and his story is packed with hard-earned lessons from raising capital, scaling startups, and navigating the realities of patents in crowded industries.

We get into the “minefield” of prior art, why IP road mapping should run alongside your product roadmap, and how patents, trade secrets, and timing all play into fundraising and exits. Plus, Zach breaks down the massive data problem in construction and how Concert is tackling it with immutable records, workflow orchestration, and AI-powered extraction—all to create a true “single source of truth” for project delivery.

[1:10] - Zach’s unconventional start: finance, 2001 disruption, and committing to entrepreneurship

[4:30] - Why IP road mapping matters before you build: avoiding the “back to the drawing board” moment

[8:45] - The “patent minefield” reality: the more successful you get, the bigger the target becomes

[12:10] - Patents in fundraising + due diligence: why some industries basically require them

[17:40] - What Concert VDC is solving: bad data in construction and the push for a single source of truth

[21:30] - Signing digital assets (3D models, code): blockchain-backed immutability + workflow orchestration

[29:10] - Trade secrets as leverage: the “intangibles” that make patents worth something

[36:30] - Fundraising in hard tech today: fewer bets, tighter theses, and the rise of “physical AI” narratives

[43:10] - Zach’s advice to founders: “Just do it” for 9–5 jumpers, and emotional regulation for startup operators

1. Zach’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-gentry-7b6196/
2. Zach’s Website: https://www.getconcert.com/
3. Patent Hacks Website: https://www.patenthacks.com
4. Trevor Skene LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-skene/

If you enjoyed this one, do me a quick favor, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with a founder or operator who’s building in a competitive space. Catch you in the next one.