We didn't win. But we won!
We aren't one of the three winners of the Tools of Change for Publishing Startup Showcase. *sadface*
But we're turning our frown upside down, and here's why.
Second. I think we might have been the newest company to toss our hat in the ring. We were so new when we submitted our application that we hadn't chosen a name for our company yet, and so we had to decide on one right quick.
That said, we knew exactly what it is we want to do. That's why we applied. Name or no name, we were onto something and we knew it. So we chose a name and we filled out the form.
And we made it to the finals. The finals!
During the couple months that passed between our application and the Startup Showcase that took place at the conference in New York yesterday, we took that good idea and we ran with it.
We fleshed out a clear editorial mission and identified the audience we want to reach. We drew wireframes that outline exactly what we want our platform to do. We're well on our way to figuring out the back-end functionality we need. We're building a community of readers and contributors.
And though we did all of this pretty quickly, we did it right. We did it quickly, but we didn't rush. We did it quickly, but we didn't kill ourselves to get it done.
We've learned that the chemistry that brought us together is the real deal. We genuinely like each other. We have a tremendous amount of fun together. We respect each other and the skills and experience each of us brings to the project.
So, yeah. We didn't win. Know who won? For one, a company that brings books to people in areas so remote they have little to no access to books otherwise. Dude. We had no chance against that. And I voted for them because of what they do. I'm glad they won.
And we're glad we participated. We're glad we used this competition as an excuse to make lots of important decisions right out of the gate instead of gazing skyward and getting lost in fantasies. We're glad the competition forced us to focus. We're glad for the exposure we've earned and the conversations we've only just begun to have.
We most enthusiastically congratulate the three winning companies, and wish all the participants the best of luck.
We aren't slowing down over here. Pull up a seat and join us on the continuing ride, eh?
