The Wrong Way to Present a Business Idea

Posted by: Phin Upham

In the comical article “Money-Making Schemes,” satirist Ben Greenman uses an unconventional way to present his business ideas to the world: a magazine article. He presents two business ideas, both of which are unique and amusing. The first project is the Conceptual Art Registry, a database that will contain hundreds of ideas for conceptual art shows. Artists can use the database to browse ideas. If an artist happens to like an idea, they can license it for a fee. Greenman admits that the “document,” is the wrong place to explain his plan in detail, but goes on to provide an overview of his plan which is in fact very detailed. It is by reading the details that one understands the satire of his idea.

His second business idea is not as practical or useful as the first. In fact, it is a religion. The only rule to his new religion is that a person must “promise to” change his name before he dies. Whether he is diagnosed with a terminal illness, wants to commit suicide, or is simply headed towards retirement, the person must change his or her name before they die. As the business owner of this new religion, he charges a onetime fee to arrange the details. He calls this religion Karmic Relief and considers this service he provides to his clients as The Last Laugh.

Read entire article: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/project-one-life-begins-at-conceptual-art