Patents are a necessary evil and a little bit addicting once you get your first taste. First to file simplifies a lot of the issues with prior art (ie the challenge of proving your idea was original), but I believe this system stifles small companies even further because of the costs associated with the patent system. We've made a decision to pursue key patents given how important some of these technologies are for our product, but I don't think that applies to most startups.

Here are some thoughts, cost overviews, and what to think about for a startup patent strategy: http://kylethered.tumblr.com/post/45273614239/good-rules-of-...