The Problem:
The business partner problem. People willing to work for cash are relatively easy to identify. People willing to work for equity is a different story.
The Business
Find business partners for those in need.
Follow the logic –> You find a business partner for someone who doesn’t have enough money to pay that person. –> Why would they have enough money to pay your business partner finder service? –> They don’t. –> Therefore, you must get paid in equity also. –> This demands the business to be viable.
Ultimately, finding business partners is the customer’s problem. The business solution is putting together businesses for people. If you are finding business partners, why not find them financing, mentorship, and leadership? It’s starting to sound an awful lot like a business incubator. Any line of business that multiple VC’s have decided not only to invest in, but start themselves, is probably a good line of business.
Doableness
Competing with Techstars or YCombinator? I don’t really recommend it. It’s doable. But unless you have a plan to do it better than they do it, why even try? Additionally, all the customer with the business idea really had, was an idea. Maybe they were a capable entrepreneur, maybe not.
But try this:
- A TV Show
- A group of people ready to start 5 businesses
- Ideas get sent in from whomever
- If your idea is chosen, you get 5% of the company, even if the idea turns into something else
- If your idea is chosen, you also get a job if you want one, and the chance at a little more equity
- Teams get assigned the ideas
- Teams get $250K in financing
- Teams have to pitch for more
- Teams have to get their product to market/scale
- YCombinator/Techstars, but televised
- It’s Sharktank meets The Apprentice. Love Sharktank, don’t like The Apprentice. But I’d like this. I’d watch.
My Thoughts
I’m guessing, as the reader of this blog, posts like this might annoy you. I’m thinking out the idea as I go. I started out with a problem. In this case, an everyday problem that lots of people have. My solution is a TV show.
As much as I want to make this blog for my readers, it’s still a tool to help me think, process, and refine. I weed out bad ideas. If I still love an idea after 6 months and 10 rereadings, maybe there’s something to it.