Meet Dan Cass

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dan Cass a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dan, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I grew up in a small town in Michigan, with a close community and a quiet way of life. I have always had an innate curiosity and an uncanny ability to see things differently from others. If everyone was going right, then I wondered what might be gained by going left. My unique perspective has opened doors as an inventor and entrepreneur that started as far back shop class in school. My shop teacher became an important mentor when he let me design and build things outside the box, and taught me how to use the basic applications and processes that are used in working with wood, metal, and plastic that are used in today’s products in more creative ways. While my peers followed instructions without hesitation, I was always pushing the envelope to explore my own thought processes more deeply.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As the President of Liddle Products, a leader in innovative, space-saving products that disrupt the market, I’m known as “Inventor Danny. “ Liddle Products company leads the audio market with our Magnetic Liddle Speaker. Our latest product is the innovative space-saving Liddle Bed Shelf. Both products are supported by patented intellectual property rights in consumer products. My other company, D3 Products, was named one of the 10 hottest start-ups at the 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and won the ibt award at CES in 2022. The company was awarded multiple patents for its engineering and design capabilities utilizing patented Intellectual Properties (IP) in consumer electronics.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I continue to carry the lessons learned back in shop class at school – the value of mentorship, the importance of asking questions, and the courage to follow my own path. If you have a mentor, great! Don’t hesitate to lean on them. You will both find value in deepening this relationship. If you don’t have a mentor now is the time to find one through networking and paying close attention to who the leaders are in your field. While my frequent questions were probably an annoyance to some of my teachers, that same relentless curiosity opened doors to opportunities for me beyond my small town’s borders. There is no such thing as a stupid question! While it wasn’t always easy, embarking on adventures that others deemed unconventional or risky brought me the success I have today. Don’t be afraid to go left while your peers are going right.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Online companies such as TikTok and Temu are selling deeply discounted goods that are copies of the designs of countless U.S.-based retailers, both large and small, and including mine. The U.S. government’s lenient policies has fueled economic growth for foreign countries by allowing foreign businesses to steal our intellectual properties to make counterfeit and copycat imposter products—without any recourse. These companies exploit the differences in legal systems and enforcement between countries, a very expensive issue for small businesses. While domestic businesses can file lawsuits and send cease and desist letters to companies infringing on their patents, it’s often a waste of time and money. Usually, the companies shut down once they receive such a letter. Others just rebrand as a new entity and continue infringing on our patents. As this cycle repeats, the copycat companies get richer and the patent-holders continue to lose time, business, sales and profits, with our intellectual property stolen. I have met with the U.S. Patent office in Washington, DC a number of times to outline the changes that must be made. The U.S. government should strengthen legal frameworks and enforce online corruption by harmonizing IP laws to address the challenges of digital and global e-commerce online marketplaces. It is crucial to work with international partners to establish robust cross-border IP enforcement mechanisms. E-commerce platforms should have to verify the authenticity of products and sellers before listing (counterfeit) goods. The U.S. Patent Office should implement cybersecurity measures to protect IP and supply chains from digital threats, using AI to monitor and delist a product immediately. It is also just as important to increase consumer protection and awareness around the risks of counterfeit products.

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Liddle Products

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