Entrepreunerial spirit award gives $30k to...

[sgrizzle]

A website that has never launched. That's right, the best example of entrepreneurship we have is forming a company, delivering nothing, and winning large cash prizes for it?

For all they know the site will never launch.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit weird?

Grocio.com

[mobboss]

really?

reallllly?


how lame

[groundhog]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

A website that has never launched. That's right, the best example of entrepreneurship we have is forming a company, delivering nothing, and winning large cash prizes for it?

For all they know the site will never launch.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit weird?

Grocio.com

If you had bothered to read anything regarding the competition, you would know that Gerald Buckley, creator of Grocio.com and winner of the 2008 Tulsa Mayor's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, won a business model competition. He followed established rules, and came out ahead. You could have done the same. Although I'm sure he appreciates your optimism. Glad to see you rooting local companies along.

Elliot Nelson, creator of McNellies (among other ventures), won the Entrepreneur of the Year award which is an award for more akin to what you are ranting about, the "best example of entrepreneurship."

Other winners included: Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Dwelling Spaces; David Rutkauskas (operates Camille's Sidewalk Cafes); Steve Cluck of Louis & Cluck Design Team (I [heart] Tulsa T-Shirts; and Marilyn Ihloff, of Ihloff Salon and Day Spa. [Source]

If it corrects your spreading false information, I'm glad to have done the research for you.

[zstyles]

I don't find it weird, what if they would have given it to a bar that was wanting to open but needed money, had a great business plan and created jobs a year from now....what if they gave it to a company that was already in business but that business just used it to pay its bills...

I guess my point is that perhaps this is JUST what the company needed to get up and running, how many .COM's(including google) would have been born without some sort of upstart help?

[sgrizzle]

Seems like the award should've been for best business CONCEPT. Call it what you want but when I hear someone says "he has the best business model" I assume it is for a business that.. you know.. does business.

I should call Nascar and suggest they offer the largest prize to someone who has the best idea for a car...

[groundhog]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Seems like the award should've been for best business CONCEPT. Call it what you want but when I hear someone says "he has the best business model" I assume it is for a business that.. you know.. does business.

I should call Nascar and suggest they offer the largest prize to someone who has the best idea for a car...

It was a prize for the best idea.  You assumption was wrong.  Again, go read the rules which I linked for you.

[RecycleMichael]

I agree with sgrizzle on the point that the best business model would usually include more than a power-point idea. I mean, the Kansas City Chiefs look good on paper and have great fans, but have managed to lose 18 of their last 19 games.

but whatever...

What is the idea? I want to support a local guy. How can we find out about his plan?

[groundhog]

Your guys competition model sounds like a great idea. When was the competition that had the rules you guys had in mind?

Who needs stinking rules anyway? Let's spread the wealth around for everybody! It's our turn people! [8D]

[AngieB]

Gerald is a friend of mine. I'm proud of him and excited about the launch of his website and service. I don't know what else to say...I guess I'm just disappointed in your attitude, grizz. [B)]

[AngieB]

quote:Originally posted by groundhog

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

A website that has never launched. That's right, the best example of entrepreneurship we have is forming a company, delivering nothing, and winning large cash prizes for it?

For all they know the site will never launch.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit weird?

Grocio.com

If you had bothered to read anything regarding the competition, you would know that Gerald Buckley, creator of Grocio.com and winner of the 2008 Tulsa Mayor#65533;s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, won a business model competition. He followed established rules, and came out ahead. You could have done the same. Although I'm sure he appreciates your optimism. Glad to see you rooting local companies along.

Elliot Nelson, creator of McNellies (among other ventures), won the Entrepreneur of the Year award which is an award for more akin to what you are ranting about, the "best example of entrepreneurship."

Other winners included: Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Dwelling Spaces; David Rutkauskas (operates Camille's Sidewalk Cafes); Steve Cluck of Louis & Cluck Design Team (I [heart] Tulsa T-Shirts; and Marilyn Ihloff, of Ihloff Salon and Day Spa. [Source]

If it corrects your spreading false information, I'm glad to have done the research for you.

Elliot Nelson, et al won in "The Tulseys". Elliot was, however, a judge in the Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards.

[groundhog]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

quote:Originally posted by groundhog

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

A website that has never launched. That's right, the best example of entrepreneurship we have is forming a company, delivering nothing, and winning large cash prizes for it?

For all they know the site will never launch.

Am I the only one who finds this a bit weird?

Grocio.com

If you had bothered to read anything regarding the competition, you would know that Gerald Buckley, creator of Grocio.com and winner of the 2008 Tulsa Mayor#65533;s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, won a business model competition. He followed established rules, and came out ahead. You could have done the same. Although I'm sure he appreciates your optimism. Glad to see you rooting local companies along.

Elliot Nelson, creator of McNellies (among other ventures), won the Entrepreneur of the Year award which is an award for more akin to what you are ranting about, the "best example of entrepreneurship."

Other winners included: Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Dwelling Spaces; David Rutkauskas (operates Camille's Sidewalk Cafes); Steve Cluck of Louis & Cluck Design Team (I [heart] Tulsa T-Shirts; and Marilyn Ihloff, of Ihloff Salon and Day Spa. [Source]

If it corrects your spreading false information, I'm glad to have done the research for you.

Elliot Nelson, et al won in "The Tulseys". Elliot was, however, a judge in the Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards.

Yep.  There were several people who one a Tulsey.  Elliot won the Entrepreneur of the Year Tulsey.  That's why I linked the Source.

[AngieB]

I was just trying to point out they were different and unrelated competitions.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

Gerald is a friend of mine. I'm proud of him and excited about the launch of his website and service. I don't know what else to say...I guess I'm just disappointed in your attitude, grizz. [B)]

I'm not bashing Gerald. It could've been Mother Theresa's business plan for all I care. I've been signed up on grocio's site waiting for updates like tons of other people.

"Entrepreneur" is derived from the french word meaning "to undertake" but this award is for people who "wrote a plan for how to undertake."

Do we give "Best Actor" for George Lucas in Indiana Jones? No, because he didn't DO the acting, he just wrote out how to do it.

Maybe that's why it's called "entrepreneurial spirit" and not "entrepreneurial" awards. My complaint has nothing to do with Grocio.com, Gerald, or anyone else who won this award. My issue is with calling it an entrepreneurial award when really it is a business plan writing award. The only way the word comes into play is that the program can foster entrepreneurs.

And for reference, google was running before it got any upstart help and only after it was shown to work did it get investors Those investors were putting money into a successful product and they wanted shares of the newly formed private corporation.

[waterboy]

I understand what you're saying Grizz. The guy deserves acclaim. It was a difficult contest to enter. I considered entering with an idea of mine but I realized that most likely I would never have been able to meet the stringent requirements. It is indeed a competition for ideas and as such seems only tangentially related to being an entreprenuer. Lots of ideas can be well described with a business plan yet its authors can hardly qualify as entrepreneurs. DaVinci was a great thinker, tinkerer and conceptualizer but not so much an entrepreneur as an inventor.

Thinking and doing makes an entrepreneur. This contest seemed designed to explain and encourage the first steps of the process which include impressing a bank and investors with a well laid out plan. The next step is just as hard, executing those plans and changing on the fly as assumptions start to fall apart.

[Empower Tulsa]

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