TWiST, Brandon Kessler of ChallengePost
TechCrunch50 Company Highlight:
(19 min.) Ethan Anderson of Redbeacon:
- They are currently executing on sales and marketing plans and have partnership offers, people have even offered to work for free because they love the idea.
- Jason comments that Ethan knows how to pitch, he basically explains it in plain English.
- The unique thing about Redbeacon as compared to it’s competitors is they only take 10% for the first job, if your service is great the customer is yours for life.
- Robert Scoble admitted via Twitter that they should have won. (that Tweet was not fun to find, have you ever looked at how much the Scoble tweets)
- 15 days before the event was a huge sprint to get ready, on top of getting ready he was refining his pitch in addition to dealing with the logistics of the cupcake delivery.
- Redbeacon will conduct a full launch in (San Francisco) early October
(35 min.) Aaron Cohen and Nate Westheimer of AnyClip:
- Father son team (incredible)
- First presentation a 4.5 out of 10, however after refining the pitch their presentation rocked TC50, per Jason one of the best ever.
- Nate comments that Jason’s advice during prep was very precise and helpful.
- Aaron and Nate comment they will survive because they are creating a relationship with the movie industry, they extended the hand of friendship to Hollywood even before TC50.
Interview:
(52 min. ) Brandon Kessler (or is it David Hyde Pierce) of ChallengePost
About ChallengePost, We all wish for things: A new iPhone app that points me toward deals at my favorite retailer; a cheap, small solar-powered generator; a better way to teach kids math. ChallengePost allows you to create and join challenges to accomplish goals. It also allows organizations to sponsor competitions of the same variety. Once a challenge is created, other people can JOIN the challenge and pledge money or simply appreciation. Those incentives, which are payable only if a challenge is solved, encourage others to solve a problem and earn their rewards. Solving a problem or getting a wish granted always needs a first step. Get started today with ChallengePost
- As a freshman in college he saw the Dave Matthews Band and ended up doing all the radio promotions for them and as a sophomore he started doing all their street promotion. As a Senior year he started Messenger Records.
- How did you recruit street teams online, do you have a message board, email or something if you want to join? That’s it, if you want to help out and put flyers in stores we’ll get you in for free and send you stuff, you’ll be on our team. That is how he met Steve Wozniak.
- He knew that problem solving could be more efficient, knew it was important but didn’t know how it would work or how to monetize it, he saw a challenge for a dual boot to a Mac, and was blown away by the marketing and the concept.
- “I support this” button is a pretty innovative and compelling reward for the challengers and the developer, both stand to gain.
- Brandon always has flyers, stickers, or posters for promotion on hand, when asked how do you get someone to allow you to place flyer in their window he says ask permission and ask nicely.
- Jason’s ChallengePost Campaign, he likes the “crime around me” idea.
Notable Events:
- (27 min.) Jason, says that to anyone who wants to give away at least $10,000 at TechCrunch50 to their winner the floor is yours, He and Mike will allow you to present on stage.(1:58) Jason describes the Mike Arrington relationship with TechCrunch50.
Special Announcements:
- (54 min.) Jason’s favorite restaurant in San Francisco is 5A5 steak lounge.
The News: (1:19) with Lon Harris (This Week in YouTube)
- I will be leaving the news segment to speak for itself (primarily as a time saver) by leaving a time stamp, my goal is for this site to be a reference site , not a news site, if something noted is beyond this week’s news , I will note the comment.
Notable Quotes:
- (08 min.) Jason, you have to love your sponsors, you have to give them that love, you have to show it to them, that’s business.
- (12 min.) Jason, Starting is easy, finishing is hard
- (30 min.) Jason, TC50 It’s a business competition.
- (51 min.) Jason, you have moments where you can take on the world and moments when you are totally incompetent.
- (57 min.) Jason, nobody wants to do the hard work.
- (59 min.) Brandon, you have to be out there to create your own luck.
