A question for any VC's or Angel Investors here: How is your $$$ working for you? Have you gone to ground, or are you still seeking projects?

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Permalink Reply by Steve at work on November 24, 2008 at 7:16am

Hey Arno;
Just a quick responce to your ideas. You are absolutely right. I have been involved in a business start up that required us to raise a lot of money. Before we could raise a nickel to spend on the actual product we spent $100,000 on legal, engeneering, business plan, consultants, and ended up hiring a manager to put it together. But until that point we could not raise money due to legal and investor concerns. It is really so much easier to do it yourself and not waste all that money up front but that is not always possible. The other big issue is time. From the start of the idea until we sold the first product was four years. It is great that Mr. Pickens has the kind of money that he has in order to get past the wasted money and time. But even he can not get things done as quickly as he wants. Rumor has it that he can not get American made turbines quickly and has refused to buy ones imported from Russia and other places. If this is true then I have even more respect for him than I had in the past.

By the way. Right now would be a great time to invest in cattle ranching if you have the nerve to ride out the next year. Prices on everything related, land, breeding stock, grain, are dropping like a rock. Hard to endure if you own all three but it will save the industry long term. Ride em cowboy. Who thought that ranching would become a sport for MBA's?

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Permalink Reply by Arno Lundin on November 24, 2008 at 9:33am

Found it ! the comment I mean. Still looking for capital. The people that have patented the bio-mill that I would like to build and run have already spent a lot in those areas for mentioned. I was involved in that process with them. It was difficult to wait but the time is here to build. It seems the things that drove the investors to do more investigating lead them still further away from what the markets need to ensure no more shenanigans with investor money. It was the blatant misuse of funds and disregard for the investor by management and even bankers sliding things by on other bankers that created the theft of investor capital. It was not the start up guy in most cases. The stock guy's usually have ripped him off right in the beginning and just use him to pump and dump another deal. Scary when they have gone from using an unsophisticated start up guy and turn on there own. If I had money or was in charge of an investor capital group I would deal with companies that have a transparent bookkeeping method and make an effort to invest in those things I could go and check out. If no one checks out what is going on then chances are you end up in a long line of scapegoats like Enron and we know how that ended. Well here we are open to any and all scrutiny with a total open plan to include accountability at any level. Course when something flies and people are making money not many questions are asked ? Love this country and I believe the best years are ahead of us.

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Permalink Reply by Steve at work on November 24, 2008 at 1:46pm

Arno;
Your again right. This is a great country. Where else in the world could we even be looking at the common man doing things of the magnatude that we are discussing. I am looking for $100,000,000. to develope a wind farm and people actually talk to me and someday may give me that amount of money. I figure that if a hedge fund can buy Chrysler Corp. for 7 billion and then get the government to give them 8 billion to stay in business anything is possible. Steve

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Permalink Reply by John R Cogar, Oregon 2nd. Congressional District Leader on December 27, 2008 at 11:01am

Steve,

For the fun of it check out Phillip Ridings page at http://www.push.pickensplan.com/profile/PhillipRidings and check out his Dragonfly website at http://www.dragonfly-windturbine.com/Header.Frames.html
I believe this system may be a quantum leap forward...

JC

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 2, 2009 at 10:51am

Here's a loaded question.

Should investors expect to be paid for *evaluating* investment opportunities?

Yeah, I've got a bee in my bonnet...

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Permalink Reply by Steve at work on January 2, 2009 at 1:02pm

Paul;
I suppose that if you ask them to evaluate it for your benefit and report back to you then they should be paid (consultation). I would think that if they are evaluating for their own benefit then no they should not (investment). However if you would like me to evaluate it I would be more than happy to look it over for a modest fee and let you know if I would like to invest.......Sounds like a scam to me.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 2, 2009 at 2:04pm

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the offer. I'm not going to go so far as to say it was a scam... (just BS) ... I posted an offer to take a look, and they cane back with the usual [pompous voice on] "It is out policy to receive a small retainer to offset the cost of distributing copies of the business plan... " [pompous voice off]

I'm just fed up to the eye-teeth with these 'investor types' that are certain that their ___ doesn't stink! It's an impasse between investors that say inventors are 'fungible', and an inventor that says investors are 'cookie cutter' -- I know we're both right and we're both wrong -- but I'm still sick of it!

The Light is Green!

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Permalink Reply by Steve at work on January 5, 2009 at 12:54pm

Paul;
I'm not sure what "fungible " means but if it means easy to scam then it might be inaccurate. I have yet to raise the money that I want but am re writing my plan with new information that looks a lot better. And I have lowered my sites on how much I need to raise. Who knows it might work.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on January 20, 2009 at 10:20am

Time to cast off the official funk. There are things to be done and no more excuses for not acting.

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Permalink Reply by Steve at Home on January 30, 2009 at 6:14pm

Hey Paul;
I think I am going to apply for one of the alternative energy loans in the Stimulus package. At least it would be a learning experience and crazier things have happened. Do you happen to know any well connected politicians? My official funk is gone. I am getting to work. Steve

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Permalink Reply by Paul on February 23, 2009 at 11:57am

What happened to Thegreentagguy?

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Permalink Reply by Steve at Home on February 25, 2009 at 8:25pm

Paul;
Do not have a clue what your talking about. Thegreentagguy?

I did want to come back here long enough to warn folks of a possible scam going on. A guy contacted me on my own personal email and ask if he could see the stuff on my wind mill project. He absolutely loved it and had investers lined up to buy into it. A couple of days later he sent me a contract for me to give him a couple of hundred thousand up front to get the project started. When I pleaded poverty he decided that he could set the wheels in motion for about fifteen thousand right away. I refused to send any money and after a few more emails he quit. You decide if it was a scam. Be careful out there folks.

Now for the advertisement.?.?.? I am looking for real investors /venture capatilist if any of them exist.The wind mill project is not a scam.

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