That "pre-configured secure image" is awesome. I heard someone suggest it like 10 years ago, and had simply assumed that someone else had already gotten around to it.<p>Sad I didn't make it but these ideas were better than mine. You can't win if you don't enter so I'm still glad I tried.
Maciej did a great job getting this all set up. Though I wasn't selected, he responded very nicely and gave me some thoughts about my idea. And, he picked six great products that I'm okay having been chosen over me. I'm very excited to see how they progress.<p>I really like this micro-investment program. I am currently working on my side project and how I can bring it to realization. I wish there were more programs out there that are willing to advise and help out single-founder products with less of a focus on investment. I'd be willing to give 5-10% equity in my eventual product for $300 if I got some smart minds to giving me real feedback and spreading the word.
Naming your contest after a failed policy of imperial conquest and subjugation that saw up to 20 million people die is really unfortunate. Would we accept "Greater Pinboard Cloud Reich" or a "Reichskommissariat Pinboard"? If not, what's the difference?<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_East_Asia_Co-Prosperity_Sphere" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_East_Asia_Co-Prosperity...</a>
Food By People seems promising and a16z already has lead the series A round by $1.25 mill. Goodluck Bernard and the team.<p>Out of topic but just came across Maciej interview with Aaronsw <a href="http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/ceglowski-interview" rel="nofollow">http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/ceglowski-interview</a>
This entire thing seemed absurd. What actual value does Maciej provide beyond a trivial amount of cash given in a facetious manner?<p>The Co-Prosperity Cloud may have been a parody of the the current incubator trend, but the companies joining appear to be real entities with genuine goals? What do they have to gain by taking part in some tongue-in-cheek publicity stunt?<p>There are better ways to pursue both $37 and the small amount of notoriety that this may bring.
I wish more hackers would do these kind of smaller investment funds aimed at working with other hackers. We all know that a lot of smaller (but still profitable) ideas can be done with as little as $5k and be set to auto pilot (more or less). Maybe 5 micro VCs, each one putting in $1K. ROI? Probably nothing. But sometimes the whole experience is worth the money.
There are definitely some very deserving winners there. Maciej did a great job and I was very impressed that he sent me an email even though my project was not chosen. I love the idea behind the Pinboard Co-Prosperity Cloud and I hope it catches on.
What was the inspiration for the name?
I assume it wasn't The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, better known as The Empire of Japan in World War II, since you wouldn't want to pick a name associated with massive human rights abuses.