I don’t know what to make of Mark Cuban. He’s either one of the luckiest SOBs around or the only dot-comer smart enough to sell his business for billions at the peak of the bubble. One’s thing’s for sure: Mark Cuban polarizes people. Folks either think he’s a self-serving blowhard with a billion dollar platform, or a successful businessman with something to add to society.
I’m wondering what the business community thinks of this guy. Do you hate him or want to be like him? Here are a few questions to consider, all referring to his much blogged about post: “The Mark Cuban Stimulus Plan - Open Source Funding.”
Do you wish you could name a stimulus plan after yourself?
Do you wish you could take a national crisis and make it all about you?
“I just needed a way to help. So here it is. Some people will love it, some will hate it. It is what it is.”
Do you wish you could get people to give away their business plans to the entire world?
“You must post your business plan here on my blog where I expect other people can and will comment on it. I also expect that other people will steal the idea and use it elsewhere. That is the idea. Call this an open source funding environment.”
Do you wish you could get people to work like a dog with little chance of benefiting?
“If its a good idea and worth funding, we want it replicated elsewhere. The idea is not just to help you, but to figure out how to help the economy through hard work and ingenuity. If you come up with the idea and get funding, you have a head start. If you execute better than others, you could possibly make money at it. As you will see from the rules below, these are going to be businesses that are mostly driven by sweat equity.”
Do you wish you could have your own Ten (or 13) Commandments?
“I will invest money in businesses presented here on this blog. No minimum, no maximum, but a very specific set of rules. Im sure I will come up with more rules as I see what comes along, if anything.”
Do you wish you could say “take it or leave it” and omit punctuation?
“As I find businesses I like, I will use the email address you provide before you post to get in contact with you. There will be a standard agreement, you can take it or leave it. Im not going to claim a minimum or maximum amount or total I will invest. Im not promising I will definitely invest anything. If nothing comes along that I think is viable, thats the way it goes.”
Do you wish you could get 1,397 comments like:
- “Mark - Awesome. In all honesty I was hoping that you’d offer something like this up at some point.”
- “This is the best stimulus plan I’ve seen so far.”
- “Wow, transparency and accountability. What a concept!”
- “I love the “open source” aspect.”
- “This is just brilliant …”
- “Very very cool idea Mark. Might lead to something big.”
So, did you answer yes to any of the questions? If you did, then you may wish you were Mark Cuban.
You know what I think? Hard to say; I’m too nauseous to think. Which leads me to my final question: Are we really a nation of sheep just waiting to drink from anyone’s Kool-Aid trough, or do they have to be condescending billionaires?
[photo: AP]
