Re: The Involved vs. The Apathetic -- odds anyone?

Hey Chris,

   Schools are ... well, let's just say a social club.  They help their own, not outsiders.  We were walked into the Physics dept of a major university last fall, by the local Director of Economic Development and the Ph.D. tried to "take over"...  Wouldn't sign the NDA, and tried to hand documents off to his flunkies.   He promised a report, but conveniently "forgot" then claimed to never have made the promise...  You should hear the tape, I wish I could've seen his face.  5 minutes of him describing the action items and the contents... Plus how his department would be completely involved...

  You're correct, but my pockets aren't that deep for loans.  If they were I wouldn't need the loan.

  Believe me I know who's installing and how much.  I can also say there's nothing 'new' about any of the sites.  All 1980 technology with minor incremental updates.  

   Approaching VCs is like swimming with sharks wearing ground-beef cologn.  Did I tell you about the ass that was scouting for Ormat at the trade show 2 years ago.  This freelance contractor, is trying to get the recipe for the secret sauce right on the show floor...  It was like being grilled by "Comic-book Guy" from the Simpson's.  How about the pair that promised to present us to their cadre of qualified investors but needed $5-10 grand for due diligence...

  I don't really want to keep this thing for myself... If I did then I would've proceeded very differently.  I know that inventors generally come out with only a few %... that's ok.  I refuse to come out with *nothing*.  I've got certain skills, I need complementary skills in the team. 

   What I do have is investors ready to jump in once they see market potential.  But they lack the guts to fund the development unless they see the exit clearly marked.  More herd animal mentality, I suppose?

  That's why I need to sell 10, or 100 sites... If I can show $5-10MM in binding letters then they'll fund the development.  The letters would only have to be provisional on seeing a working pilot site...   No one wants to be first; I can understand that.

  With the letter they'd agree to purchase only after witnessing  the successful operation of the pilot... No pilot, no obligation.  But, when we demonstrate a working model, and all the criteria are met, then the letter would be as binding as a PO.  I can't offer a softer sell than that.

  Perhaps what I really need *is* a hard-boiled salesman that can actually convert some paper for me.  Of course it's gotta be on the come...

  So it comes back around to convincing another person that the technology is sound... That's never been difficult as long as the person I'm trying to convince has a few healthy brain cells.

  Hey, do ya think that if I invent some indecipherable "techie" sounding terms and obscure "scientific" principles like "zero-point energy" maybe that'll convince the "dumb-masses" that I'm legit?  ;^) sorry... 

   In the mean time I'll just keep plugging along...

P.S. Anybody interested in the secret to making 30MW of solar panels every month?