Startup Accelerators VS: The Voice

I love watching The Voice. It's incredible beautiful to watch singers take the risk to display their talents; to not only be judged by four judges but the television audience. People everywhere watching them succeed or fail.

As I watch The Voice I can't help but picture each contestant as a single startup applying for a shot at acceptance into an incubator. I witness great singers pick the wrong song, that just doesn't sound so good when they sing it. My ears can hear how great their voice is, and then when the competition sings next, I wither into what I know is coming for the other singer. I suffer the anguish of the impending AXE off the show.

I know this walk. It's my team applying to an accelerator. Oh we are good. It's just that we played the game, and picked the wrong song to sing, as this happens on The Voice.

Shark Tank is sort of The Voice for startups. It's that chance to sing your song, and be pushed into greatness or be slung into the pile of “Nah, not so great”

This is the road us entrepreneurs walk. Often times this rejection, scorn, and judgment can put me into a deep sorrow. I may stay in it for days, but surely this doom teaches me something.

While in the pit, my mind wanders all over the place. I take in all the

discomforts and search for my ladder. What is it that I must learn to get to the place I want to take Passdown? How can I help the team? How can I reach the people? How can we sing our song? Can we make it flawless? Can we take the judgment and shape it into something better than we presented? 


Of course we can.