Saturday, 15 September 2007

I predict a riot

Well, OK maybe not a riot but I predict over 50s everywhere will take advantage of their extra free time after they've retired and their increased disposable income to indulge in a host of activities they've never tried before or in some cases never heard of - wake boarding,woodcarving,wine making ... you name it, they could try it and on http://www.mapleandleek.com/ they could find the inspiration and the friends to give them the courage to make it happen.

This is how the story went when the intrepid Maple and Leek team, admittedly looking a bit thin on numbers, ventured to Seed camp to inspire some of the most respected VCs from the tech community to part with some cash.

Of course, the week wasn't just about the investment but the opportunity to learn from seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts and meet fellow start ups going through the same growing pains.

I loved it, it was great playing at being entrepreneur for a week. The mentors were inspirational and very supportive and the panels really gave a unique view on how to view industry trends. It was a bit scary just how big we were encouraged to think, but by Friday I had convinced myself that world domination was a real possibility.

Alas, we didn't win a place in the top six so world domination will have to be put on hold until we can secure funding. In the meantime, its back to being a part time entrepreneur, juggling the demands of a full time job with sneaking off at lunchtime to try and convince VCs and Angels that we really are the next big thing.