A provisional is a temporary 1 year inexpensive patent application that gives you the advantage of a quick filing in order to “reserve your spot” or priority. Priority is especially important because it’s a deciding factor on who deserves the rights to a patented idea/invention. If you have an idea you believe in, go ahead and file a provisional application right away. After that, you have a year’s time in which to decide how to advance your idea, and in which countries to file a non-provisional patent.