As former Vice President of Pound Puppies and co-developer of a slew of other winning products, Paul von Mohr can certainly be described as a successful businessman. Sponsored by the Intellectual Property Law Association, von Mohr spoke to the Levin College of Law on Nov. 6, and explained how an idea becomes a product and how a product becomes a sales phenomenon. Von Mohr even expanded the services of his business, Rise and Shine Ventures, to include assisting new up-and-coming entrepreneurs in experiencing the same level of success that von Mohr has enjoyed.

Von Mohr explained that while he is not an engineer or attorney, he has learned the process of development and marketing through his 24 years of experience in the business.

Most of the products that von Mohr has developed were inspired following an ordinary observation of a need. Pound Puppies, the iconic “so soft and adorably lonely” toys of the late 80s and early 90s, were inspired by an inventor’s trip to the animal shelter with his daughter. Touched by her emotional reaction to seeing puppies that needed homes, the inventor devised the idea of a plush stray puppy as a children’s toy and partnered with von Mohr to develop them. Pound Puppies were initially licensed to a small company in Canada in 1984, and then to Tonka in 1985 for distribution in the United States.

“The essence of it, from a marketing perspective, was just about those emotional heartstrings,” von Mohr admitted.

There was no patent on the Pound Puppy product, however, and von Mohr explained that the protection for the product came only from a “trademark standpoint.” Eventually, Pound Puppies were licensed in 52 countries.

Following his work with Pound Puppies, von Mohr started his own company in 1996 and joined with two other business partners to develop products.

Von Mohr encountered what he referred to as “product development versus intellectual property”—choosing between premature licensing of an underdeveloped idea to secure intellectual property rights and delaying licensing to invest larger amounts of financial resources into a product for a well-developed prototype.

Von Mohr’s latest product is the Step ‘n Shine. He noticed in his own home that too many night lights were being left on to ensure that his son could find his way to the restroom in the middle of the night, if needed. Von Mohr devised an idea for a wireless system called the Step ‘n Shine that uses a mat placed next to the child’s bed and, when stepped on, causes a series of lights to illuminate so that the child can see his or her way to the hallway or restroom. On the return trip, the child simply steps onto the mat again to turn off the lights. Von Mohr and his company licensed the Step ‘n Shine to a company that deals with Disney and the Step ‘n Shine is now available for sale and features popular Disney characters.

The key to success in his business, von Mohr said, is “betting on the next big hit.”

Now, von Mohr is betting on the Step ‘n Shine, an updated version of a prior success called the Rocket Fishing Rod, and UGlue, a sturdy yet removable bonding material. If von Mohr’s past success is any indication, however, the odds are in his favor that he will again hit the jackpot.