Contests and competitions for social business ventures seem
to be multiplying along with fast-pitch TV shows like
Cupcake Wars, Shark Tank
and
American Idol here in the
U.S.
After an arduous application process, entrepreneurs tap dance a lightning-fast
show for a panel of judges who declare whether they move on or lose. Over one
hundred social venture contests serving
North America
are listed
here.
Hundreds more serve other continents. Each offers tantalizing funding and
support to captivate any social entrepreneur with visions of a triumphant win.
The numbers prove their effective marketing. Each boasts thousands of
applicants each year.
These contests used to not bother me. The few I’ve investigated
did not warrant the amount of work compared to the potential of winning; easy
enough to ignore. But troubling accounts from contestants keep coming my way,
many from social bike business ventures. Most tell of months of work only to be
rejected. Others tell of hopeful climbs to the brink of winning, including
time-consuming and expensive trips to pitch their idea again and again, only to
be dropped from the final group.
The worst stories come from young entrepreneurs in
developing countries who have stopped their work in order to join the “contest
circuit.” Such entrepreneurs fit the profile of the ideal contestant and
because they have a good chance of winning, find that their time spent
generally nets a good income. The problem is they have no time left for their
projects.
These contests bring all the disturbing elements of most charitable
grant proposals including arduous application processes, unwieldy demands from
the funders, disrespectful communication barricades, and cold rejections. On
top of all this, they add this song and dance element.
This audition process is absolutely appropriate for
Hollywood roles,
American Idol and pitching nonessential
products. Such industries depend on talent to increase sales. Like any
for-profit venture, the bottom line requires that mediocre stars be jettisoned.
This is sad for these talented folks, but such industries can only handle so
many stars. There is no comparison to the flood of talent we need to combat poverty
and suffering.
This win/lose game is no way to treat social entrepreneurs
who have pledged their lives to helping our world. Rejection takes a heavy toll
on passionate people and sends many away from the sector forever. There are too
many problems yet to solve for us to rely on the most talented at pitching a
project. Shy, awkward and introspective social entrepreneurs are just as likely
to make an impact as those with an appealing stage presence.
The movie Moneyball
offers some inspiration. It tells how the Oakland
As baseball team shook the scouting world one season when they skipped over the
most talented players and spent their budget instead on mediocre players. Each
of these players had a particular gift that complimented the team as a whole. Their
investment paid off and other teams soon followed.
Social business holds a far more important role than entertainment,
cupcake sales or sports. Instead of punishing many thousands of social
entrepreneurs each year or worse, distracting them away from their good work
with promises of stardom, we need to reshape our support systems. We need to
value the special gifts of every committed social entrepreneur and help them find
their best role within the tremendous efforts ahead.
With so few social bike businesses underway, none of us can
afford the distraction of such time-wasters. Have you taken part in a social
venture contest? What was your experience like? Do you have ideas for creating
a better system that offers assistance without disgrace? Even gentle ways of
redirecting this contest fervor could go a long way. Please leave any comments
that spring to mind.
