
I just launched a $2,500 scholarship for entrepreneurial ideas...please apply! - ramit
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/scholarship
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rokhayakebe
I applaud your effort but someone _who has demonstrated entrepreneurial
excellence_ can easily find $2500. Still what else you can bring to the table?

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steveplace
_demonstrated entrepreneurial excellence_

Could have been in a non-profit.

Or I'd argue that failing miserably starting a company could still be
construed as excellent.

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jacabado
Blame PG, he started it all.

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natch
So we give you our brilliant ideas, you cherry pick them and go execute them
and reap the profits, then pay one person $2,500 for what you get, while
everyone else watches you laugh all the way to the bank?

"Too clever by half" is a phrase that was invented for situations like this.

~~~
diN0bot
this is exactly what i thought when i saw the title on hn's front page. the
domain name smells of pyramid scheme.

that said, when i went to the actual site it looks genuinely community
oriented. this business guy seems both slick and businessy but also honest and
genuinely interested in social good.

i don't know what to think. i like grassroots and community efforts, so i want
to support what he's doing. cynicism holds back progress. nonetheless, i can't
shake the fishy smell. he wasn't very clear about what he's looking for--is he
donating to a good cause or looking for business partners (see video) !?

anyone else applying?

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ramit
Guys, this is Ramit (the founder of the scholarship). No, it's not a scam, and
no, I'm not looking for business partners.

I want to give back to someone who is likely to achieve something meaningful.
Maybe this person will do it, or maybe next year's winner will (when I give it
out again).

If you think I'm cherrypicking for ideas, then I'm sorry you're so cynical and
this award isn't for you. But if you read through my site -- which I've been
writing for the last 4 years -- you'll see what I'm about.

Obviously, $2,500 isn't a huge amount of money. But for some people, that
small amount AND the motivation from winning something public can make all the
difference. The scholarship is aimed at people who can benefit from that. If
$2,500 won't do anything for you, then no big deal! But for the 1 person who
will really benefit from advice, a little money, and most importantly support,
I hope they hear about this.

Thanks.

~~~
diN0bot
Thanks for replying Ramit. There are many things one could do, but you're at
least trying one thing, so I salute you.

I still think "I will teach you to be rich" is an odd domain name and motto,
but I'll pass that off as part of the mysterious finance culture that doesn't
often leak into my penniless programming world :-) Though I'm starting to see
that when you say rich you might not mean $$.

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alaskamiller
It's tongue in cheek. Maybe you should watch some more Monty Python to build
up a measurable amount of humor?

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kailashbadu
Ramit! do you really think that unavailability of $2,500 could be holding
someone back from implementing his super-innovative entrepreneurial idea? I
suggest that you mix a few more things with you bounty? something that an
entrepreneur might actually need and want. $2,500 is way too down the list.

~~~
maneesh
Honestly, isn't this identical to YCombinator, just without him taking 5-7% of
the company? YCombinator gives like $10,000 to a single developer---not a huge
amount of money, but enough to get started. $2500 is the same idea---you give
a small amount of money for someone to create a project. I think it's an
amazing idea.

disclaimer: I'm Ramit's brother and I'm not qualified to apply :(

~~~
ajkirwin
There is a difference. The amount of money given is such that you have time to
work on a product due to it.

That amount of 'scholarship' is not enough to develop something fulltime and
if you're only doing it in your free time, then, you probably have enough
incentive anyway.

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lorenzsell
i've known Ramit for four years and he's a very intelligent and upstanding
person who's genuinely interested in helping people better manage their lives
and implement their ideas. $2500 might not be a lot to someone who's got a
well paying job and is well out of college, but for your average
entrepreneurially inclined college student, it's great motivation to help them
get started on something meaningful.

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motoko
Ramit,

Are there are positive criteria that would make an applicant less attractive
for your scholarship?

For example:

* for profit

* teams

* a team including at least one person over 29

* progress (is this only for ideas?)

~~~
ramit
Doesn't matter if it's for-profit, nonprofit, whatever. I'd rather be less
restrictive and open the net widely to as many interesting people as possible.

Progress means the MOST. An idea is cheap, but if you've shown you can
execute, that means more than anything else.

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polvi
Would be great if the application was available via .pdf

~~~
diN0bot
if it weren't for google docs i wouldn't be able to communicate with .doc or
.xls

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alaskamiller
That's awesome, Ramit

