Zipline Green and 1MillionCups

http://www.emergingprairie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1MC_Logo.jpg

I was recently introduced to something called 1MillionCups, and it is a very cool idea. It is sort of a “Shark Tank” but without sharks. It happens all around the United States, and it is a way to help and incentivize entrepreneurship. After reading about it, I chose a video (business pitch) to analyze a little bit.

The idea I chose is called Zipline Green, Inc. and, in their own words it is: “The Oasis Smart Guideway™ is a solar-powered transit system housing a flexible combination of infrastructure components operated by a single digital control system.

Our patenting process is well underway, with patents pending in the United States as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization.” Let me explain it in simpler terms. Zipline Green builds guide ways, which are basically tracks for monorails and trains. What is interesting about this is that their tracks don’t only support trains, but they are also solar powered, and they can carry fresh water, natural gas and distilled liquids, like jet fuel and gasoline.

In the video, they go over a couple of applications for this product, and it is remarkable. It is an expensive construction but it seems very well worth the money. In my opinion, it solves a problem, especially because it can create power grids between cities, instead of using the grids that are in each individual city. This connects people and cities through power. In his pitch, he talks almost only about applications in the US, and it is only when someone asks about it, that he starts talking about applications in other places, such as the Middle East. This was a huge flaw because you can see that the applications in places like the Arabian Peninsula are far grater then the applications here, and if no one had asked about it, we would never know. The other thing I though was weak in the presentation was his goal. Not the company’s goal, but his goal while presenting in 1MillionCups. He wanted social media followers. That is it! You don’t go through the trouble of developing a business pitch solely to ask for Twitter and Facebook followers. People want more, and they deserve more.

www.ziplinegreen.com/

One tip I would leave for Mr. Pete Diebel, founder and CEO of Zipline Greene, Inc. is regarding his image. We are talking about projects worth 1 billion dollar, and his whole image looks like his six-year-old niece drew it. If your product his highly technological, your image should match so potential investors can visualize the final product.