The Start-up Challenged

To: Duke Start-up Challenge Executive Committee

From: Duke Start-up Challenge Executive Committee Chair

Date: Feb. 22, 2010

Subject: Elevator pitch competitors

Well, here are the submissions. Looks like a rough year:

DareDevil—Harvard had H Bomb. Boston University had Boink. We’re bringing the next generation of erotic student publications to Duke. But we cut to the chase. No artful compositions, no clever essays, no avant-garde gender deconstruction. Just naked-ass Duke undergrads, bundled with every Tuesday Chronicle.

PostGame—We provide late-night logistical services for student revelers returning from a night out on Main Street or elsewhere. We slip in hassle-free, clean your leftover dishes, unclog your bathroom sink, brush your teeth if you’re unconscious and/or immobile and send prompt “JK” follow-ups for any regrettable texts found in your phone’s outbox. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you still kind of like yourself in the morning. (Plus: we’re now on Twitter! Tweet @PostGameInc with your campus address and late-night hours when your door will be unlocked!)

EntrepreneurZone.org— Game-changing Holy Grail of high-profile entrepreneurial cross-collaboration that integrates rich Web 4.0 site architecture with dynamic content crowdsourcing and premium venture capitalist-friendly services to network the young leaders of today with the younger leaders of tomorrow with the less-young leaders from before.

PartySalad—We’re shakin’ up the late-night food scene at Duke. Introducing the health-conscious option to challenge the reign of the 50-piece bucket: PartySalad. Imagine you and four friends stumbling from last call over to our cozy corner of the Bryan Center and tearing into an enormous bowl of arugula. I know what you’re thinking: pass the extra virgin!

The Humanity Enterprise—A student initiative planning development and marketing of a fully effective AIDS vaccine by fourth quarter of 2010. Concurrent projects include switching the entire Duke campus over to renewable algae biofuels by the end of the spring semester and sending a student delegation to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by 2012. We only really need the award money to throw a sweet launch rager.

duke[site].com—A Duke version of any Web site that was even remotely successful or attention-garnering in the last five years. Expect Duke YouTube, Duke ChatRoulette, Duke Sporcle, Duke New York Times, etc. Our working philosophy is that if there’s something on the Internet that some people use sometimes, make a Duke version.

Frank—Yo I don’t have like a good name or a business model per se but I’m an entrepreneur and I’d like to propose a change to the FLEX system. Nobody on campus carries cash and it’s bad for the entrepreneuring. For students trying to make it happen, you can only charge to FLEX if you’re donating the money to charity. I’m just saying, if I have a DukeCard reader at Shooters this Thursday night? I’m flipping an oz in about two minutes without ever getting off the bull. Ten percent to Haiti, done deal.

Discussion

Share and discuss “The Start-up Challenged” on social media.